


Lead Me Home

by BrigidTheFae



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: College Life, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-04 12:19:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 170,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1778890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrigidTheFae/pseuds/BrigidTheFae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The promises of serenity are like legends to those who hear the call of the sea. For most, it is true. For a small number, any peace was lost with one of their own. Is it too much to ask for to bring them back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An AU off-shoot of Call Me Maybe. Where that one is light and happy, this one is it's more-mature cousin that has seen things. Not everything is happy and falls into place. There will be romance, there will be angst, and there will be times you'll wonder what the hell was I thinking. It's an attempt at something more serious that addresses issues we all face in life with the cast. Everyone you've seen in Call Me Maybe will be present in some form, but it will not be a retelling. This will diverge and take different turns. If you haven't read Call Me Maybe, you won't miss anything, but you should give it a chance too. Right now you can find it over on FF.Net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8957647/1/Call-Me-Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murphy's Law states that anything in life that occurs has the possibility of going terribly, terribly wrong. No one knows when it will happen. That's what makes it the unwanted surprise.

The world was no more.

Not what the elves that knew of it was, anyway. The lands of middle earth that held any trace of elven inhabitance had long since passed to foliage and animal life as the dominion of men came to rule at the turn of the Fourth Age. As the last ship sailed the west road to Valinor, change was already taking place.

In Valinor itself, much was happening. Families of elves were reuniting and making new homes in colonies across the peaceful lands, starting new lives and finding new loves. Others that had found their loves before sailing were taking the opportunity to start the families that they wanted, but held back for fear of the worst during the War of the Ring.

The former lords and ladies of the Greenwood and Lorien kingdoms were united by the bonding of their youngest heirs, Legolas Thranduilion, and Ithilwen Haldiriel, the second granddaughter of the Lady Galadriel. The bonding ceremony took place in middle earth, where friends mortal and immortal would bear witness to the exchange of vows and rings, as the pair had requested. Now that they were beginning to settle into their lives in Valinor, among the high talans so reminiscent of Lorien and Ithilien, the young couple were in talks of having their first child.

As it happens in peaceful times, there is always that one ripple that can rock the foundation to its very core. It's never something that is intended to happen.

* * *

Ithilwen was tending to some of the village's youngest elflings one afternoon. They were very animated for that time of day, when usually they would have been preparing to rest. She had taken on the task so that their parents could travel into town for the day's errands without stress because she felt like it would be a means of practice when she and Legolas decided to start their own family.

She could smell the onset of the rain before the dark clouds rolled in, but she paid it no mind. If it were a sprinkle, they would enjoy the cooling effect and continue play. However, with any particularly hot summer day comes the likelihood of severe weather, and the afternoon's bright skies were ripe with possibilities.

The rumble that followed shortly after the first sprinkles had the elleth corralling the younglings together. Some had wandered off from their group, and Ithilwen had to collect them while the eldest of the group led those with them to the nearest shelter. The children had been playing a game of seek and find, and the very youngest misjudged how far they had drifted. When Ithilwen found the little ellon, he was distressed to the point of tears, afraid that one of the bigger kids wouldn't find him.

As she carried him back to the other children, the storm had reached their area. The winds had picked up, the rain came down harder, and the combination of the thunder and lightening were frightening the children huddled together. Ithilwen picked up speed as she carried the child in her arms, trying her best to remain calm. She was still a good distance from the little group, which made it all the more worse when the ellon's brother decided to break away from the group and run to his temporary guardian. Ithilwen tried to tell him to turn back, but the sounds of the thunder over their heads proved this a fruitless endeavor. The ellon grew worried that he couldn't find his little brother and simply wasn't thinking. This ill-made decision put him at risk, and he did not notice.

For a ways distance in the closest stables was a horse that had yet to be broken of his wild lifestyle. The trainers were having no luck getting the beast to cooperate and comply to their orders. Having a sudden thunderstorm break across the sky with its booming sounds to accompany the bright streaks of lightning did nothing to soothe this horse's mentality. One strike had landed close enough to this particular horse's stable to send it into a fit, raising all manner of noise and destruction as it kicked it's stable gate into splinters and sped out into the fields.

Ithilwen saw the horse coming before the stable hands could formulate what had happened. When she saw them attempt to chase the horse on foot, she knew they would never reach it, and its erratic path was directly in line with the older ellon that was currently running to her...

"Go! Run!" Ithilwen shouted orders to the older brother as she broke into a sprint to meet him, pushing his little brother into his arms before shoving them aside quickly. The rogue horse was picking up speed, but she had sworn to those parents that she would take care of the children. But what could she do? This problem-horse was well-known for his bad behavior, and it didn't look like any more progress was made in taming him. The stable hands were still too far away, so it came to fall on her shoulders to stop this animal.

Bracing herself, Ithilwen prepared to intercept the beast by leaping onto his back and calming him to a trot. If she could lead him away from the children, the older ones would keep them together and safe until the horse was subdued. She felt her shoulder connect with the horse's broad chest and she let out a yelp as she attempted to vault onto its back. Ithilwen misjudged the enormity of this creature, having never been this close to it. The shoulder throbbed as she clung to the horse's neck for her life as it continued to run. With a tug to its mane, she was able to steer the horse away from the children, but instead of leading the horse back to the stables as she had planned, the horse went in the opposite direction, further into the fields.

* * *

While Ithilwen had been spending the day attending to some of the children, Legolas had been assisting his dwarven friend Gimli with the construction of some new homes. They were finishing up for the day early due to the unexpected weather when shouts were heard across the area. Extra stable hands were running to them, shouting about the rogue horse getting loose and somehow Ithilwen had managed to climb atop it. Before Gimli could ask the elf what he was talking about, Legolas had taken off in the direction in which another elf had pointed. He didn't know the whole story at that point and he didn't need to. Ithilwen was on a horse that he would have never let her near, and he had to save her.

Running across the field, he could make out the form of the large horse in the distance through the rain. This wasn't good; the horse was going into a heavily-laden construction area. As he neared the area, the horse had become trapped in the maze of foundations and framework. Legolas didn't have time to warn Ithilwen that the horse was prone to bucking when frightened, but the uncalled for lightning proved to be sufficient. The beast neighed loudly, rearing up on its back legs suddenly. Ithilwen, having nothing but the slick strands of mane to hold onto, was pitched violently off its back.

"ITHILWEN!" Legolas shouted as he ran into the construction zone. She landed in what looked to be a pile of debris, but as he neared closer he felt his blood run cold.

Ithilwen lay amid a pile of discarded stone that was deemed unfit to use as foundation. Her body lay limp across the broken shards like a rag doll, with a nasty gash against her temple, leaving the rock beneath her head stained with blood.

"Ithilwen! Ithilwen!" She was unconscious and unresponsive even when Legolas lightly slapped her cheeks. There was no one nearby to help him, and he feared even as he lifted her body up that he was doing more harm than good, but he could not leave her in the rain. It was apparent that she was badly injured, and from the way her body sagged in his arms, he feared for the worst.

* * *

The healers that had attended to the young mate of the woodland prince would never forget the day that he had stormed into the building screaming for help. He was soaked to the bone, as was she, and even sported the dark-stained clothing from where she had bled as he held her against him. They would also never forget the time they had in trying to get him to turn her over to their care. It's not to be surprised, he was terrified, so they allowed him the opportunity to remain in the room.

It was all Legolas could do not to swarm the healers as they stripped the wet clothes from his wife's body and began to dry and dress her in a gown. They were speaking in rapid Sindarin, and while he could make out the words "broken" and "deep", it was more than he could bear. With that, he silently excused himself from the room she was in, only to collapse into tears just outside her door.

That was how his and Ithilwen's parents found him when they reached the healing quarters. Both ellith were in instant mother-mode, trying to calmly get Legolas to tell them everything that happened while at the same time trying to calm his frayed nerves. Legolas' voice cracked as he retold them of how he saw Ithilwen atop the untamable horse and how it threw her during the middle of the storm.

Much later, one of the chief healers in the vicinity came out to greet the parents and the prince. His face was grim and he looked both tired and upset. "My Lords, My Ladies... We've done all that can be done for Lady Ithilwen. The wounds that she has sustained are far greater than our healing magic can repair. The stones that Lord Legolas informed us he found her on have broken six of her ribs, and from the placement of the fractures we can only assume she has internal bleeding."

"That's something you know how to repair," Morwen said worriedly. "What are you not telling us?"

The healer sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Ithilwen's spine has been severely damaged," he said finally. "Because of the sheer number of broken bones, we cannot turn her to inspect her spinal column without running the risk of doing further damage. This would require a long recovery on her part, if she is up for the fight. However...if she manages to heal her body, I cannot say for certain that she would walk again."

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked. "My mate is as strong as any warrior that has been in these quarters!"

"I am only suggesting that you do not set your hopes too high, my lord. Lady Ithilwen could have suffered nerve damage, which is irreparable. You must remember that she is bleeding internally. There is nothing we can do to stop the bleeding." The healer placed a hand comfortingly on the prince's shoulder. "I would suggest to prepare yourselves for the worst, my lord. There is the small chance that your wife can make it through this, but do not place all of your hope in so small a possibility."

The healer excused himself to seek counsel with the others in the room, who looked less than comfortable, knowing that their talents were of no further use to the injury that was beyond them. The family that gathered around the frail elleth's bed had nearly succumbed to sobs, watching as Legolas took the eerily pale hand of his beloved and held tight.

The tears that he had been fighting back were flowing freely now as he desperately prayed to the Valar that she would recover so they could live out their lives like they'd vowed. He knew in his heart that this was not to be, as much as he did not want to accept it. As he looked down at his mate, he knew that she was beyond the hope of healing. Her normally flush cheeks were colorless, and even as her blanket covered her form, the broken deformity could still be seen in the way the folds fell across her chest.

Ithilwen's hand was steadily beginning to lose what warmth it had, and he knew he was losing her. He wanted to tell her to fight back against her injuries. He wanted to tell her to sit up and argue with him like she used to. He wanted to hold her tightly against him and feel her heartbeat against his chest, but he knew this would never happen. "Ithilwen..." he whispered in choked sobs. "Ithilwen...I will always love you. You are my everything, melamin. I do not know how I can do this without you by my side... You have to find some way to come back to me, my love...my Ithilwen..."

* * *

Two days after the accident, Ithilwen passed away.

The healers left in the room would never forget the strangled cry of anguish that came from the former Lord of Ithilien, nor the way he continued to hold the lifeless hand of his once youthful and lovely wife. They would forever see the former lords and ladies of the realms break down in sobs as the news was passed to them that they had lost one of their most precious belongings.

The funeral that took place was as somber and gray as Legolas appeared. Among the family in attendance was the small hobbits Bilbo and Frodo, the wizard Mithrandir, and the young prince's treasured friend, Gimli. They had all begun to show signs of their age in Valinor, and the heavy depression that settled over the company made the aging appear that much older.

Morwen had commented that it was a beautiful ceremony, in an attempt to find comfort in the fact that she had to lay her own child to rest, but it was for naught. She as well as everyone else knew it, but they would continue to nod and agree, as if it might have helped accept the fact that one of their own had gone to the Halls of Mandos.

Nothing could quell the hurt and upset in Legolas, though. The greatest thing that had ever happened to him had been taken from him, right when they had just started to truly live. It wasn't fair. Why should she be the one to leave? Why had the storm chosen to appear so suddenly? Why couldn't it have been himself that had taken the brunt of the blow? Why couldn't he have been the one on the horse? He often wondered why he couldn't have taken her place, but he knew that she would think the same things if their roles had been reversed. She was like that, willing to throw herself in harms way to protect him and those she loved.

But it was an accident. No one could have forseen that, not even the Lady Galadriel. She once told them she had seen them in a dream with a small herd of children running about their ankles, with appearances that took after both of them. Now that was gone. Forever.

Or was it?

For nigh on the first month since Ithilwen's passing, a heavy watch was kept over Legolas. Everyone suspected - and even fully expected in hushed conversation - that it would not be long before he followed her to the Halls of Mandos. Even the dwarf Gimli could not raise his spirits with stories of the war and their killing competitions, for the prince was too far gone to so much as appear to feign interest. His parents and Ithilwen's watched from afar, not knowing what - if anything - could be done to lift his mood.

One day, Mithrandir appeared before the lords and ladies. "I bring word from the Valar themselves," he explained. The wizard was surprised to see how quickly the loss of his wife had taken its toll on the young prince; bedraggled and forlorn, it seemed that Legolas was indeed attempting to grieve himself to fade so that he might have a hope of returning to Ithilwen, if only in spirit.

"Lady Nienna has been thinking much of you these past weeks, Legolas," Mithrandir spoke to the downcast elf, who hadn't so much as acknowledged his own name. Miraear had brought him to sit between herself and Morwen at the table. "She sees and feels the grief that you bear each day, my boy, as do the rest of us. You know that you are not alone in this sorrow."

"If everyone is aware of what I am going through, then why make a formal announcement from the Valar themselves to point that out?" Legolas had spoken softly, but there was a tint of bitterness on the tip of his tongue.

"My boy, is that why you think I am here? Of course not! I bring good news, you silly elf!"

"What could possibly be good news to me, anymore? That I am soon to die so that I can join my beloved?" He was pitying himself, he knew. Just as he knew that the words had upset the ellith on either side of him, but instead of gasping or crying, they had taken each of his hands and squeezed, almost as if they understood that his suicidal thoughts were void of any conviction. The truth was, Legolas didn't want to die; Ithilwen wouldn't have wanted that for him, but he couldn't see a world without her in it anymore. It left him at a loss of what to do.

"Do not be daft! I come bearing words from Namo himself! It appears that princess Ithilwen's fëa has safely made it within the Halls of Waiting, just four days ago." Mithrandir adjusted his robes, pausing for effect. "She asked Namo personally to send a message to her loved ones..."

That had done the trick. Legolas' head shot up expectantly, and he vaguely realized that his mother and mother-in-law were squeezing his hands harder. "W...what does she say?" he managed to get out, a sudden lump forming in his throat.

Mithrandir smiled for the first time since he arrived. "Lady Ithilwen sends her love, as to be expected. She does not know how long she will be in the Halls of Waiting, however, but she misses everyone. She does not wish for you to grieve yourself to death, Legolas. Lady Nienna has visited and spoken of the grief you bear around her passing, and it pains - and irritates - her that you would think to do something so foolish."

"But how can she expect me to go on as if I had never met her? It's not possible for me, Mithrandir, my heart hurts too much to forget her."

"As you shouldn't!" he nodded. "Lady Ithilwen wishes that you would try to return to your former self; she cannot stand the thought of you wasting away when you still have so much to live for."

"What do I possibly have!" Legolas nearly snapped. "The only thing in the world that I had that I could ever want was taken away from me!"

"Do not make me use my staff, young man," Mithrandir chided. "I may not have aged in appearance in some years but I am a tired old man who will not hesitate to use his walking stick on you." He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Lady Ithilwen has made her decision to have her fëa be reembodied."

Silence followed Mithrandir's words for what felt like the longest time. No one spoke, trying to comprehend just what was said. Finally, Legolas choked out, "Ithilwen... Ithilwen will return to me?" The crack in his voice was the first sign of hope that anyone had seen in some time.

Mithrandir nodded. "It will be some time, as Namos has to make preparations for her reembodiment, but I have been told under the strictest tone by Namos from Ithilwen to not let you succumb to grief, Legolas. She does not want to return to find that you have taken a trip to the Halls of Mandos because of your stubborness and impatience to be reunited!"

Morwen choked back a sob and laughed. "Ithilwen's returning!" She leaned forward to see the beaming smile upon her friend's face. "Miraear! Just think of how happy everyone will be to hear of this news!"

Miraear wiped some tears away from her cheeks with her free hand and looked to her son. He wasn't displaying as much excitement as they were, but she could already see the light and color return to his eyes, and it was then that she knew that Legolas was slowly coming back from his grief. Even from the Halls of Waiting, Ithilwen had saved him.

* * *

Months had passed without any sign or signal from the Valar as to Ithilwen's whereabouts. As the days approached to the anniversary of the accident that took her from her loved ones, Legolas was beginning to believe that it had all been a joke, but there was a small part of him that told him not to lose hope just yet, that his Ithilwen would return to him.

Finally, Mithrandir had come to visit again with news from the Valar.

"Do not be alarmed," he began, which only seemed to raise their suspicions when he added, "Namos has had difficulty in finding a suitable form for Lady Ithilwen's fëa."

"What kind of difficulty?" Morwen asked. "Is he not going to let her return?"

Mithrandir's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Goodness, no! Nothing like that!" He cleared his throat as he brought his empty pipe out of his robe pocket. "No, it appears that there is not a suitable form for her fëa within the borders of Valinor."

"Where else could he possibly find a form?"

"In Arda," the old man said simply. "Ithilwen is to be reborn in the body of a mortal in what exists of Arda today. She will live her youth as a mortal until she approaches her maturity. During this time she will regain the memories of her past life as well as the body her fëa now occupies adjusts to its elven form."

"But she'll grow up without her family!" Miraear stated, looking sadly to her friend. "How will she know that these memories are not illusions of the mind? There are no more elves in Arda! She will be completely alone in the world!"

Legolas, who had been on the other side of the room and silent for much of this discussion stood up suddenly from his seat. "Then I must find a way to get to her," he said as he started to pace. "She is my mate. I cannot leave her to walk alone in the world."

"That is well and good ion-nin, but how will you get to Arda? As far as we know the Straight Road only allows passage _to_ Valinor."

Mithrandir returned the pipe to his robe pocket, and shuffled something in another pocket. The elves watched as he extracted a folded piece of parchment that contained what appeared to be a map written in ink. "We thought as much," he mumbled, laying the map out flat on the nearby table as they gathered around. "Arda has indeed changed much since the last ship has left. The lands have broken and reformed so much that you would hardly recognize anything."

"Why does that matter?" Miraear asked, getting irritated with his riddles. "You speak as if you know of a way to sail back!"

"I do," he said, chuckling as they all froze. "Did you really believe I had brought this piece of parchment out because I am a senile old man? I assure you, my Lady, that this map will lead you back to Arda."

"We can go back?" Legolas said at last. The idea sounded so far out there that he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. He was still trying to tell himself that Ithilwen's death was not a dream, even as he woke from the nightmares each night to find that her side of the bed remained empty. To be able to go back and find his mate all over again was daunting, but if he had the opportunity, he was not about to ignore it.

"That is what I have been trying to say!"

"Then you should speak clearer!" Both Morwen and Miraear told him.

Legolas waved his hand to get everyone's attention. "There must be a clause to this. It simply cannot be that easy."

"There is," Mithrandir nodded, "The Straight Road will open to the remains of the Gray Havens only once every seven years." He pointed to what appeared to be a small island on the map. "From there you will be close enough to shore to venture further into what I believe are the remains of Lindon. You will need to keep track of the years more carefully when you arrive so that you can properly prepare for your return."

It would be complicated, but Legolas was dead-set on tackling this task with enthusiasm. He had no idea what he would find when he reached Arda, and he knew nothing of where Ithilwen would be. All he knew was that she would be there somewhere, and he was going to find her.

In the next five years that passed, preparations were made to sail the Straight Road once more. A number of family members would not pass up the chance to take the adventure, even after arguments were made to suggest that only a few go. What followed thereafter was a long journey that held nervousness, excitement, and wary anticipation as to the changes the world of Men had brought upon Arda, as well as how and when they would locate Ithilwen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't look so bad behind a haze of denial, even as your friends are pointing out all the faults with their high beams.

The busy streets of San Francisco did little to give way to the rushed young woman that sped across the sidewalks on her bicycle. It wasn't a practical means of transport, but having to pick up a shift at work left little time to make it to the bus stop to catch the last bus to her college campus. It was frustrating, as the person's shift she stepped up to replace had asked if she could cover the remainder of their shifts for the rest of the week due to "doctor's appointments". The young woman couldn't say no, for she desperately needed the money to pay to keep from being homeless, let alone eat a decent meal.

The college scenery crept onto the horizon as she pedaled faster, catching the speed of gravity as the bike crested the hilltop and proceeded downward. Working overtime had it's perks, she tried to reason with herself, just not when it came down to making the evening classes.

Like many of the students that attended college, she was a drifter. Knowing that she wanted a degree but with no particular drive to seek something more specific, she chose to major in liberal arts with art history as her minor. She loved to create art as much as she did seeing the great works featured in her textbooks or in small pixeled graphics online. Attending one of the art museums in her area was both out of her time and financial budgets.

The young woman knew that there was something more "out there" that was meant for her, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was. Something, something big was missing in her life, and she intended to find it. 'Can't do that without any money though' she thought to herself. 'or much of an education. But I have to go to school to get the knowledge to earn money, though I have to go to work to pay to go to college to cover the costs of getting that knowledge so that I might find out just what it is I'm missing.' she groaned, thinking of the mounting student loan debt that she was acquiring by going to college. The area wasn't the most economically affordable, but she couldn't afford to move elsewhere, thus finding herself in a pit of debt and no clear goal to look towards.

Some days life made it hard to get out of bed.

For eighteen years, she had grown up in the Shady Oak orphanage, with no record or hint of evidence as to whom her biological parents were. She wasn't even sure she was eighteen years old when they released her as a fully capable adult into the real world; they had just kept her for the allotted eighteen years and made her believe that it was her age.

Any information regarding her initial appearance was a blur as well. What she did know was that she was found on the doorstep, wrapped in soft, heavy linens that the attendant arriving for office work almost mistook for scattered laundry had it not been for the soft cries of the infant from within. There was no nametag, and no letter of resignation from the parents of the child, thus the secretary brought the small girl to the heads of the organization, fussing over her appearance and lack of knowledge as to handle the situation. From that day forward, the small infant girl was named Winifred Sioda by the woman who found her, in honor of her great grandmother and the silky touch of the infant's platinum hair. None of them would ever live to hear that the little Winnie was actually an elleth from the Golden Wood, Ithiliwen Haldiriel.

After securing her bike and running across the large campus courtyard, Winnie sped with haste up the stairs of the second floor of the Gee building to her biology lecture. The miniature auditorium was just beginning to fill up with students from the various course sections of the class. It was an odd arrangement for a summer semester; the typical sixteen week course was condensed into eight weeks over two months, making it more fast paced and harder to catch up if one fell behind in studies. Winnie had signed up for the summer course only because repeated attempts in the fall and spring continued to conflict with her work schedule. She couldn't afford to be fired, and with her student loans to remind her, she couldn't very well afford to fail the lecture and lab classes, either. One benefit of taking the evening courses was that she was surrounded more by adults her age than the just out of high school students who showed very little evidence that they had just earned their diplomas that May.

Winnie felt herself sink into the wooden auditorium chair, flopping her books down into her lap unceremoniously with a sigh. The guy beside her gave her a lopsided grin and commented, "You just made it, Wen. Instructor ain't even here yet."

"Probably stopped for supper on his way," another guy joked from the row behind him. "Wish he'd bring us something sometime. I haven't eaten since lunch!"

"Well I haven't eaten since last night, unless you count that doughnut hole that Gene made me eat when I went into work this morning." To prove Winnie's point, her stomach chose that moment to growl.

"Why haven't you eaten, Wen?" the first guy asked.

Winnie shrugged. "Haven't had time. Laurie called and asked me to take her morning shifts for the week, and I was up late finishing that lab report so I slept in. When I remembered that I had to get ready for work, I knew I had to skip breakfast or I wouldn't make it in time."

"Gene should be feeding you better," the second guy sniffed disdainfully. "Didn't he know that you hadn't eaten?"

"No and I intended to keep it that way," Winnie mumbled as the instructor passed them, the scent of a greasy fast food dinner making nearby mouths water like it were a five course meal. "I'll figure it out myself. I think I've done alright so far."

When her stomach growled again, both guys shared a look that clearly said otherwise.

* * *

Night had fallen well before the biology class had ended. Since the instructor was going out of town for a conference by the weekend, the third meeting had been combined with the current evening's lecture to help prepare them for the last unit test before finals. The breeze that shook the leafy trees on campus did nothing to cool the temperatures down either, but then, it was the second week in July.

"What?" Wennie ground out, not even looking at her friend.

"I'm concerned that you haven't eaten anything but a donut hole today," he said. "I still say that Gene could be doing a better job of looking out for you at work."

Bernard had been one of the first people Ithilwen met when she started college in her freshmen year. He was also a first-year student, coincidentally on the same degree path. Wennie met him during the freshmen orientation meeting, and they had quickly become friends as they struggled to make their way through the expansive campus the first day of classes. Bernard had stuck by her each year, and while she was truly grateful for that, she couldn't help but feel like he was being a mother hen at times.

"Look," she said, changing the position of the shoulder bag, "I've been trying to loose some weight anyway. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal?!" The dark curls shook as he began to sputter in disbelief. "How can not eating not be a big deal? You need food to fuel your body, Wennie! If you go without you'll crash eventually, and when you're laying in a hospital bed with a feeding tube in your arm how are you going to pay your rent, huh?!"

Wennie stopped and stared hard at her friend, a little annoyed that he brought up her financial struggles as a means of guilt. But Bernard continued to stare back at her, not looking the least bit sorry. He hated to be tough on the girl, but if it meant that she ate _something_ , then it would be worth it.

"I've got some food at home, alright? Does that satisfy you, B?"

"Not until I see it and I see you eat it." He shrugged the bag off her shoulder and took the books in her arms. "Come on, we'll pick up your bike and I'll give you a ride home."

She knew it was pointless to argue by this point. When Bernard had his mind set on something, especially where it concerned her well being, he intended to stick to his plan. That meant that when it was this late at night, he refused to let her ride her bike home, no matter how many reflective stickers she had put on it.

* * *

Wennie's "home" was in fact a small apartment set in a decent neighborhood, but the owner of the building had chosen not to keep the interior as pristine as its exterior. It was always "on his list of things to do" whenever Bernard had asked the man in passing, but as he was led upstairs, it didn't look like much had changed. The walls were painted brick and the floor covering was a very thin grayish green carpet that had seen too many years and far more tenants that it should have. There was an old elevator that operated when it chose to, and the occupants of the building knew by now to take the stairs because the time for technical support to reach them was far slower.

"You know the drill, B. Come in and make yourself at home." Wennie moved out of the way after she had unlocked the door to let Bernard pass before entering herself.

Bernard looked around the apartment as Wennie dropped her keys on the nearest table and took her belongings back, only to drop them on the coffee table. He had often heard that the appearance of one's living space was often a reflection on their personality, and for Wennie...well it looked as if she were having a rough time of life. He had seen the rent receipt a few times and knew that for the size, it was way too small for it's monthly cost. She continued to live with it because she had no other options; it was close to the college and to her work, and campus rooming was too expensive to consider. The belongings she had were sparse and spread out, most of it second-hand furniture and the rare splurge of knick knacks she had acquired on her weekend trips to the local thrift stores. What she hadn't bought had been given to her by the previous tenants. In fact the "newest" items that she owned were the 4-year old laptop she bought on clearance for school and the flip cover cell phone whose battery cover was held on by duct tape.

He moved into the kitchen, remembering his original plan and began to open the cabinets, then the refrigerator. Wennie had, as of that day, about four packs of ramen noodles, two cans of great norther beans, a box of cheap macaroni and cheese, a quarter of a loaf of bread, a smidge of peanut butter, and a jar of mayo.

"I'm ordering delivery, Wen. What do you want?" He had grabbed the old leaflet on the counter and began to rifle through its deals with one hand while he began to punch numbers on his phone with the other.

"I. Have. Food. Bernard."

"Not from the looks of it."

Before Wennie could get the words out that she was capable of making something besides a hot mess with what she had, Bernard had held a hand up to silence her as he placed a rather large order from two neighboring eateries. It would have been funny to witness the rival company delivery boys appear at her door simultaneously, but Bernard was past a joking mood. He had seen firsthand what she had called "having groceries", and knowing that she wouldn't go shopping again for at least a week did not reassure him that she could sustain her busy schedule on starchy noodles and beans.

The coffee table had been cleared of Wennie's books to make room for the delivery boxes and drinks. Bernard stayed with her under the pretense that they could go over their notes, but really he was just making sure she ate. It was much later before he finally left, telling her to keep what was left so that she could make her "groceries" stretch until she got to the store. She tried to fix a plate for him but he declined each time, telling her he had gotten plenty to eat, and besides that, his roommate would have ruby tackled him if he smelled the greasy treat.

Wennie watched from her window as Bernard exited the building and found his way to his car. She really hated having people buy her food, but since it was her closest friend in school, she had to accept that he would insist until she caved. He was a really good friend to do that, especially when most would sooner complain of their own problems to make them sound more vulnerable.

That was something she couldn't bring herself to do. Wennie did her best not to complain about the stress that she faced every day and instead tried to find the things in her life to be thankful for. She had a place to live in an alright neighborhood, even if it was small, overpriced, and not in that great of condition. She had food to eat, even if it was preprocessed and likely to add more pounds to her hips. She was going to school to get a higher education, even if it meant that she was putting herself into tens of thousands of dollars in debt. She had work, even if it was a waitressing gig, but the perks of that were the atmosphere, and that said a lot. But right then, as she turned away to store the uneaten food in the refrigerator, she had a true friend that cared, and that was something she couldn't complain about.

Wennie then moved to her bedroom and changed into some nightclothes before crawling under the blankets. As she laid in bed she tried once more to convince herself that her life wasn't as bad as Bernard was making it out to be. She didn't like to ask for help because she felt that she didn't deserve it if she couldn't do something herself. The idea of handouts was nowhere near her philosophy of work ethic either. She would work as hard as she needed to to pay off her debts, and if that meant decades and multiple jobs, then so be it.

The only issue with Wennie's logic was that she couldn't bring herself to step back and realize that doing without and ignoring the offers of help was only going to make her life all that much harder.

* * *

The alarm began to buzz at 6:30, and as routine, a pale hand shot out from the covers to slam down the snooze button. The form in the bed shifted under the blankets before a mess of blond hair peeked out the top.

Wennie groaned immaturely as she willed her body to sit up in the bed. She had gotten about five or six hours of sleep roughly, but she felt like she could sleep for two days and not feel rested enough. The odd thought entered her mind, suggesting that she call in sick like the other girls tended to do, and Wennie would have done it if it weren't for the stack of bills that sat on the end table.

"Why I set them in a place that they greet me each morning is beyond me," she muttered, dragging herself out of the bed and to the shower.

She hopped out of the shower before the bathroom got a chance to get steamy and moved to dress. There was one thing about her work that she liked a lot, and that was the uniform. In place of black slacks and a set of colorful polo shirts with the embroidered business name on them, her place of work was built more around a theme than any specific rules.

Steampunk.

For people not familiar with the area, the notion of a steampunk-themed restaurant was ludicrous, but it was a weird part of San Francisco. The eclectic design and ambiance of the establishment set it apart from the numerous Boston-accented pizza places or the east-Asian cuisine where some were backed by Jamacian cooks. There was nothing wrong with these places of course, but for tourists, families, or couples that wanted something more than the "take-out taste", options were not as abundant. To make it more appealing to the local artsy crowd, the owner took a step back in time with his desire to make the place sophisticated, yet bring a fantasy world to life.

When Wennie had applied for the position as a waitress, she had inquired about uniforms. Her new employer told her that as long as it was comfortable for her to work in, modest, and fit the theme, she could get as creative as she wished. The good thing about this was that she could begin with distressed clothes tailored to her owner's ideals until she could afford to purchase more suitable pieces to work with.

That had been six years ago, and in that time she had learned enough to sew to build her own designs. There were a few pieces that she had to purchase, however, because she could not make them for less and be as sturdy. It had taken three months, but she had finally tracked down a corset designer that would craft her ideas and not want to bedazzle it with raunchy lace and bright colors. Some old jackets she had bought on a thrift haul were cut and refitted as short boleros, and an old pair of boots she picked up were remade with scraps of leather and brass metalwork in various places.

Wennie twisted her hair into a bun and applied a small amount of makeup before leaving her bedroom to go to the kitchen. She didn't have any classes today with Bernard but she was pretty sure that he'd come in during his break just to smell her breath to see that she ate some of the leftovers. He was a good friend, but an odd one.

With her bike tucked under one arm and her purse on the shoulder of the other, Wennie double checked to make sure she had everything before locking her place. She was leaving early enough that traffic wouldn't be too big an issue to weave through on her bike, but only if she hurried.

Outside, the day was looking to be another hot one as she climbed onto her bike and started off. Thankfully, her work had good air conditioning to combat the dark clothes she was wearing that day. It was only four blocks over from the apartment, and the restaurant stood out like a beacon with its brass and bronze sculptures set before the brick front. Overhead was an antiqued sign that read "Cogs and Coins Restaurant" in a gold typewritten font against purposely aged wood. The outside was fairly simple in decoration, but inside it resembled an upscale Victorian tavern with its shiny hardwood floors, dark cherry wood furnishings, and various art pieces that lined the walls.

Wennie steered her bike into the alley between the restaurant and the adjacent building to enter the side door reserved for employees. Her boss allowed her to stow her bike in his office where a lockable cabinet was set up for all of the employee's personal effects. Setting it carefully against the wall, she extracted her waitress' apron and tied it about her hips, double checking to make sure she had her notepad and pens ready for the day. It would be a long one with a double-shift, but at least she had a small break between and a little padding in her paycheck.

"Hey Wen-wen," a cheery male voice greeted her as soon as she left the office. "You ready to pull overtime today?"

"Not exactly, Gene, but I can't turn down the extra hours."

Gene was one of the cooks on staff, but the only one that would head out onto the floor with the food if the waiting staff was short handed. He was the only one out of them that had the boyish charm to handle grumpy, hungry customers.

"By the way, Bernard has a bone to pick with you."

"Moi? What'd I do?"

"It's what you didn't do, according to him," Wennie said, referring to her meager meal the day before. She sighed as she went to retrieve an abandoned basin that was left on a booth. The place was officially open, and one of those airheaded girls had gone off and left the dirty silverwear in plain sight!

Gene took the basin of silverware that Wennie had in her hands to take into the kitchens and propped it against one hip. "If I recall," he said with an air of sass, "You were the one to shrug off the plate I intended to make for you, babygirl."

Before Wennie could say anything, he had turned and left her, disappearing behind the swinging kitchen doors. "Yeah, well you can't eat when you're on the job," she grumbled, turning to clean up another booth that hadn't been touched. "And I'm _always_ on the job..."

* * *

While the hours across San Francisco were just beginning for the day, in many other places across the globe the day was either well underway or drawing to a close. For many, that meant wrapping up the day's work to return home, settling down for the evening meal, or turning in for a night's rest before doing it all again the next day. However, there were some that pushed against this routine, continuing to work long into the hours of the night if it called for it.

Computers were booting up into their operating systems, the fans whirring with the command to keep the internal devices cool for their owners. Web cameras and microphone headsets were being plugged in and set carefully over delicate pairs of ears while the few that occupied the room settled into place. The one to work the computers opened the desired program, checking all of the connections before logging into the service. On the monitor screen displayed at least six other screens, each with a set of faces staring back into their respective cameras silently.

"Is everyone here?" The host asked.

"I think so," another voice said.

"Pretty sure," came another, followed by a succession of nods.

"Good," the host spoke again. "What news do you have on our...project?"

"Well the biodegradable bags are really-"

"He means the _other_ project, you fool!" This voice happened to elbow the other speaker, which was seen on camera as a slightly delayed image.

"Right, sorry," the first voice replied to the host. "You know you really shouldn't hit your husband, melleth-"

Another figure on another screen sighed. "We are here to discuss the whereabouts of my daughter, not observe a lovers' spat," the male growled.

The figures that were previously arguing now looked sheepish. "We're sorry," the female replied. "And I mean about the search too, Haldir. We haven't had any luck with the search at all."

This time the host was the one to sigh, almost in a defeated way, as his hands reached up to finger comb his hair out of his face. This was the way it had been for years. Since they arrived in what weathered spit of land that was once the Gray Havens in what the mortals termed the late 1800s, it had been a struggle. First, they had to integrate into society; learn the customs, the language, and maintain the facade of being mortal as wave after wave of pestilence crossed the lands. It involved moving every decade until the lifespan began to lengthen, and then it was every few decades. They adopted new mortal names and personas, sometimes swapping identities for lack of inspiration.

The plan had been simple. Sail to the Gray Havens, make way for the lands of Arda, settle as mortals and search for their missing kin in the shadows. But nothing is ever that simple, they learned, having nearly raised suspicions twice during the first World War. Time had passed without slipping up, but this came with a lack of leads as well. The technology of this period was highly intuitive compared to their predecessors, but it could only do so much when you had no shred of evidence to work with.

"We will find her, ion-nin," Miraear said as she placed her hands on her sons' shoulders comfortingly. Tauriel silently nodded when her brother locked eyes with her.

Several sets of faces appeared guilty with the former queen's words. It had been at least three centuries with no evidence of the Valar restoring the fëa of Ithilwen into a mortal form, despite the declarations of the deed being completed. Of course this span of time was like the length of a month for an elf, but for one that had been yearning to find their mate it felt that much longer.

Legolas removed his fingers from his hair and stared into the camera. "Where are all of you now?" he asked.

"Haldir and I are in New Zealand," Morwen said.

"I'm down here in Rome with Finkle and Dinkle," Glorfindel grinned as he heard the twin's protest their nicknames.

"We're in Atlanta, Georgia," Melda said, motioning to Silima and Fiona. "I don't know about these two but I want to get out of this city! The traffic is insane!"

"Galion and myself are in a hotel just outside of Fresno," Thranduil answered.

"Fresno?" Bernard asked. "You should come through San Francisco and help me then!"

A regal voice broke through the chatter in the "conference" room. "I am sure that we will find Ithilwen soon enough, young prince. Do not give up hope on finding my granddaughter."

"Of course not, my Lady," Legolas told Galadriel sincerely. "I have come too far to lose sight of my life and soul. Forgive my dejectedness, for I am just exhausted."

"Then you should rest," Celeborn said. "All of you should rest." Before the couple left the room, he eventually asked how to properly log out of the room, because Galadriel had gotten onto him for just mashing the power button the last time. The wireless connection that had been set up in the Gray Havens was shoddy at best given its location, but Fiona was able to instruct her grandfather through the steps slowly as everyone else bid their brief farewells for the night.

Legolas closed out of the program once everyone else had signed out. Miraear and Tauriel had left him to his thoughts and to prepare some tea. He stared at the darkened screen sadly, wishing above all that he at least had a picture of his mate to look at. All that he had to keep him going was memories, but lately the only memories that have wanted to surface have been the last ones before her passing. He could still see how fragile she looked in the large bed, feel the coldness creep into her skin to overpower what was once so warm to the touch. He could see the burial plot they had built where the few other ones were situated, recalling how the light breeze of the sunny day had brushed the petals of the flowers he placed on her grave.

"I need you, melleth-nin," he whispered, feeling the dull ache in his chest. "I just want to see you and know that you are here, alive and well..." At that moment he didn't care if she still had no memories of him or their life together. He just wanted his Ithilwen back in his life somehow.

* * *

"Wennie!" Amber, one of the hosts sped past her in a rush to return to the front of the restaurant. "You've got two on table seven!"

Wennie nodded as she gathered a couple of menus on her way, briefly stopping to check on her customers at table four on the way. It was the lunch hour rush, and like most days it was busy, but today appeared to be a madhouse. She swiftly dodged a rambunctious child darting out in her path, smiling understandingly as the child's parent apologized profusely for their behavior.

When she reached the table she went into autopilot mode, setting a menu down before each person. "Good day, gentlemen. My name is Wennie and I will be your waitress today. Can I start you both out with something to drink?" She had extracted her notepad and pen as she spoke, ending with the "service with a smile" smile to hide how tired she was already.

However tired she may have been, the smile nearly faltered as she really looked at the two gentlemen sitting at one of her tables. The one on the left sported long platinum blond hair that hung delicately about his shoulders. His eyes were a very light blue that were accentuated by dark brows. He had the very air of a commanding person, and even if he wasn't wearing a tailored business suit, Wennie would have pegged him for being a leader. The man beside him was also wearing a tailored suit, but in place of blond hair, his was a chesnut brown and his eyes a darker blue. 'Business partners?' she wondered. 'Liberal arts professors maybe?'

"I will have a glass of Guilhem Red," the blond man spoke, breaking Winnie from her thoughts. Even his voice had the echo of a commanding officer to it, and he was speaking very kindly too; she could only imagine what his temper was like!

"I will have a cup of coffee," the brunette said warmly. "Black, please."

"More power to you, sir," Wennie laughed lightly. "I can't drink mine without cream or sugar!" She pocketed the notepad, excusing herself to place their order of drinks while they looked over the menu.

* * *

Returning shortly with a glass of wine and cup of black coffee for the table she silently dubbed the "long haired-business friends of Jesus", Wennie took down an order for an eight-ounce steak meal for the blond intimidator and a shrimp scampi plate for his companion. It was only after her departure that the two men began to converse, once they were certain their waitress was out of earshot.

"My lord," Galion whispered across the table, "Do you believe that is-"

"I do," Thranduil said before his assistant and friend could finish. "I would recognize that face anywhere, though it pains me to see that she has no recollection of her heritage."

"Can we be sure though?" Galion pressed on. "This young woman looks so different from the princess!"

It was true. The princess Ithilwen had longer blond hair that was not streaked with splashes of blue and green. Her ears had been pointed and untouched, whereas this woman's were pierced up the rims with metal. Her blue eyes sparkled unhindered, while their waitress sported a pair of dainty frames. The clothes were different, make no mistake, but the once-king could tell in his heart that he had been waited on by his daughter-in-law.

"We will keep this information to ourselves for now," he said seriously. "I do not want to raise hopes on a hunch."

Galion nodded. "Understood, my lord."

"In the meantime," Thranduil looked out across the restaurant to observe its peculiar decoration. "We must secure more stable accommodations than hotel rooms. It appears that our stay in San Francisco is...shall we say, extended?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small surprises apparently come in big boxes courtesy of the new neighbors.

The following day, Thranduil and Galion reappeared at Cogs and Coins during the lunch hour, coincidentally being attended to by Wennie. It was another busy day for the restaurant, and while Thranduil did not get to engage in much conversation with their waitress, he was able to observe her from a distance.

Despite being human, his daughter-in-law had managed to immerse herself fully in the local culture. At first he had been appalled to see that she sported dyed streaks in her blond hair, but on their return to the hotel the previous day he had seen far more ostentatious decorations on the body that made her look tame. Then he had internally cringed when he counted the metal rings that pierced her rounded ears. That was a concern he would have to keep in mind when her body began to change to its true form. Would she be in pain? Would she keep the piercings? He hoped not, and he couldn’t begin to imagine what his son would say if he could see her.

Galion had still wanted to alert someone in their group - anyone - of their newfound discovery, but Thranduil would not allow it. He wanted to be absolutely certain that this was their lost princess before making any declarations. The smallest of leads in the past that led to dead ends had left Legolas morose for days. There was no way he could do that to him, not that he was doubtful of himself. He was sure that this was Ithilwen, but he wanted to get to know the woman she had become in her time here before he subjected her to the rest of the group.

On their third visit to Cogs and Coins, they were seated at another table and greeted by another waitress, this one named Olivia. This young woman had been behind the bar during each of their previous visits, but she recognized these two gentlemen as Wennie’s “Long-haired Business Friends of Jesus”. Apparently they also tipped generously to boot. Without being asked, she answered the question that hung in the air as she refilled their glasses of tea.

“Wennie’s got an early World History class today,” she said. “She won’t be back in to work until tomorrow morning on a double-shift.”

“She attends school?” Galion asked casually.

“Oh yeah, a lot of us do. I myself just finished enrollment in community college for computer science. I don’t see how Wennie does it though.” Olivia shook her head. “I have trouble going part time on a normal semester; she’s been taking two courses this summer and working extra shifts!”

“I would have assumed this establishment was adequately staffed,” Thranduil commented dryly.

Olivia laughed nervously. This one put her on edge when he talked. “It is...normally. We’ve been short-handed lately because some of our waitresses have left for medical reasons. Wennie’s been a blessing to come in anytime she can to help. Oh, excuse me! I’m rambling!” she laughed again, excusing herself as another table called for their bill.

Galion watched as the young woman flitted off to her duties. She was a good-spirited one. She would do well in life. It was when he turned back to see his former leader scowling at his phone in hand that he knew things had changed. “Something on your mind, sir?”

“What did she mean by a ‘normal’ semester, Galion?”

“I believe she was discussing in terms of the academic curriculum. Many higher learning schools base a semester around a number of months, sometimes offering accelerated terms during the summer months for highly sought classes. These summer terms are more fast-paced than a normal term and require the student to learn the entire curriculum in a much shorter time.”

“And my daughter is volunteering for more labor at the same time,” the once-king murmured. “She was always a headstrong elleth, believing she could strike down anything she encountered.”

Galion had to admit that this was not the king he once knew that was speaking, for Thranduil was not openly enthusiastic about this particular elleth when Legolas had first introduced her. He watched as his friend began to press buttons on the phone with his thumb, wondering what he was up to.

Thranduil held the phone to his ear, not noticing the raucous noise that echoed through the restaurant as the line began to ring. This idea would likely be a mistake. It might even be thought of as jumping the gun, but a small part of his brain told him to make this call.

“Hello? Adar?” A sleepy voice answered on the other end. Galion was thankful for his gifted hearing as he heard the voice of the prince over the line.

“Legolas,” Thranduil greeted his son as he spun his unsused fork in his free hand. “I have news for you.” “If this is about the pretzel bun sandwiches, you can buy those here-”

“I found her.” Galion wasn’t surprised the prince didn’t respond. He was likely in shock, if he wasn’t still trying to comprehend his father’s words.

The response came moments later, clear, earnest, and serious. “I want to see her.”

“That would be a bad idea, ion-”

“I want to see her.”

“She has not made the transition yet, Legolas. She does not even recognise myself or Galion-”

“I want to see her.”

“We are not even certain if she had begun to regain her memories at all!” Thranduil stated firmly. “It would be most unwise for you to appear here before her claiming to be the husband she does not remember!”

When the line went silent again, Galion sighed and finished his tea, motioning silently to Olivia for their bill. He knew without words that Legolas was most likely crushed.

“Have...have you spoken to her?” Legolas’ voice sounded far less demanding.

“We have.” Thranduil found himself nodding, only to catch himself in the foolish act. He had teased Galion about nodding at the drive-thru speaker two months prior and now he was doing it! “She is attending college, Legolas, and she is a waitress. Galion and I are here right now, but she is in class.” He added this last bit quickly in the chance that his son asked to talk to her. “We have not spoken much, but give me time, ion.”

“You’ll look after her, won’t you?”

“Of course, what kind of father do you take me for?”

“I remember a time when you were furious that we were courting-”

“That is in the past, Legolas.” Thranduil shot a look at Galion, who had begun to chuckle at that moment.

“We will watch over Ithilwen and help her where we can. I will keep you informed.”

When Thranduil hung up the phone, he sighed as he retrieved his wallet. Galion shook his head. “Let me take this one, sir.”

“Then I will leave the tip for the young woman.”

Galion knew it was pointless to argue verbally, but just to piss his friend off, he added his own tip to the concealed bill folder. The young waitress called Olivia would surely be surprised when she collected the folder.

* * *

“You know, I’m beginning to suspect that you gentlemen either like the food here a lot or you have ulterior motives for asking to be seated at one of my tables personally.”

Galion smiled warmly as Wennie placed his meal before him. “Merely the joyous light that you bring into our lives with your services, my dear.”

Wennie couldn’t help but giggle. These two long-haired men were very kind each time they visited, and she had been told by Olivia when she returned to work that they were very generous to her as well. She liked talking to these two men, because aside from outward appearances, they were very different from many of the locals. Their manner was more fluid and calm, and she found it relaxing to speak with them.

“Might you know of any places available to rent in this area...Wennie?” Thranduil had almost slipped again and said ‘Ithilwen’, but he struggled to say this mortal name because it was too...wrong. It was all wrong and he didn’t like it.

If she noticed the pause, she didn’t acknowledge it as anything more than him struggling to keep a name to a face. “Well,” she began, “if you’re looking for something within a budget there’s the apartment building where I live, Shady Hut. It’s over on West Main. It’s not a four-star place, but it’s affordable for most people. Though, I’m not sure if there are any vacancies, but the landlord would be able to tell you about other lodgings.”

“You are not familiar enough with the residents to know of such information?”

Wennie shook her head. “I spend most of my days either at college or here, and when I’m not at either place I’m on my way here, there, or home. My schedule lately hasn’t left me much time to-”

“Waitress!” A rather rude man called from four tables over. He was a portly fellow who had already emptied half of the -most likely alcoholic - beverage before him, and was not embarrassed to blatantly wave the server over. Deciding that his voice wasn’t good enough, he then began to snap his fingers as he stared hard at her through squinted eyes.

Wennie turned back to face Galion and Thranduil, muttering a quick apology before slipping a piece of paper onto their table and rushing off. Galion reached over to pick up the piece of paper, stating that it was the address to the apartment building she had spoken of, but his lord was too busy observing the rude customer to notice.

As much as she apologized to the man for her tardiness, which to Thranduil did not seem that bad, the large man continued to berate her for her “incompetence”. He tossed around insults against her as if he thought they were simply criticisms, and with each one Wennie would stand there and smile, nodding in agreement. Why should she agree with him? The concept of the customer being right was not valid when the customer was tearing down the employee when he had not been ready to order a minute before! If this had been back when he could exude his power over others he would have this man locked in his dungeons for a century. Or until he went mad, whichever came first.

After the order had been taken, Wennie turned and moved towards the kitchens. As she turned, and for the briefest of seconds, Thranduil had seen the true expression come out in her eyes. Exhaustion, sadness, overall hurt, it didn’t matter how it was described. She, nor any other server in this establishment, deserved the kind of treatment that she had just received. They didn’t speak again as she slipped by with their bill, but he left a note written in his delicate handwriting for her to find.

_“My dear, do not feel that you should be subjected to such treatment as I witnessed earlier today. You are a kind soul that does not deserve to be misinterpreted as “incompetent” or “worthless”. Sadly we cannot eliminate the fools from the world today, but always remember that there are more who would give warm words than harsh ones. You are a superb waitress; that is why my friend and I choose to be seated at one of your tables.”_

* * *

“This is by far one of the most reprehensible things you have ever done, my lord!”

“Do not forget that you are with me, Galion.”

“I am beginning to believe that I am a masochist for punishment!” the brunette hissed under his breath. “What if we’re caught?”

“We won’t be.” Galion was right, he knew, just as he knew how wrong it was to spy on others. He couldn’t help himself though. After speaking more with her before the rude interruption, he had become concerned over her method of travel through the busy streets of San Francisco. After they had left Cogs and Coins, they returned to the hotel just down the street to put in a phone call to the owner of the Shady Hut apartment building. Following that, Thranduil had come up with the plan to follow Wennie as he saw her pass by on her bike. They traveled by foot, having left the rental at the hotel. It was far easier to keep a safe distance from the girl without being noticed or detained by the laws of traffic.

They knew the location of the college that she attended, simply because it was the nearest in the area, but her destination eluded any guess he could have made. She had told them that she was always busy, and the route she was taking led away from the apartment building and the college. Furthermore, why had she stopped to buy flowers?

The pair continued to track her movements through the city and to its outer limits where the traffic thinned considerably. Thranduil knew they were coming up on the borders of the rural neighborhood, which made hiding slightly more difficult. While they doubled back to take cover behind a snack food delivery truck, the bike glided off the asphalt and along the concrete walkway that opened into a gated area. Both elves followed the direction with their eyes, scanning this space for any form of identification.

“Tranquil Eternity Memorial Gardens and Cemetery,” Galion read. “The name is a bit strange for the purpose, isn’t it?”

“Are you surprised?” Thranduil had taken off along the sidewalk before Galion could respond. Part of one of his questions had been answered just by following Wennie this far, but he was still confused as to why exactly she was visiting such a dreary place of mourning. The Valar had pretty much told them that she would be born into this world completely alone.

The elves followed the concrete path under the guise of visitors looking for a particular headstone, but their real destination lay further ahead, where Wennie was setting her bike against the nearby fence edge. Thranduil led Galion to a large statue within clear hearing distance of the young woman, settling onto the bench that was provided.

“Hi Mom,” they heard her say softly to the air. Mom? How was this possible?

Thranduil had been nearly ready to voice the endless questions going through his head until Galion motioned to keep silent.

“Okay,” Wennie sighed, laughing slightly at herself. “I know this is ridiculous, and I know you’d think it was too if you were here, but... I don’t know, I guess it just helps.” As she spoke she arranged the flowers into the provided vase, removing the previously withered ones. “You’d tell me to move on and stop talking to a granite headstone. And I will...just...I need a little more time, okay? “College has been a trip,” she continued, sitting cross-legged in the grass. “I’ll have my degree in May if all goes well. I know you’d be happy about that, even if I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I’ve got a few friends in school and work, so I’m not entirely alone...”

Peeking around the statue to make sure she wouldn’t notice them, Thranduil leaned around to study the headstone Wennie was speaking to. It appeared the woman’s name had been Angela Pearson, born in the early March of 1947 and died only seven years ago. Beneath that, it mentioned that she was a “beloved mother and daughter”. The once-king motioned for Galion to do a search on his phone for any information as Wennie continued to speak.

“...and work is going well too. Most of the time, anyway; there’s always a few nasty customers.” Wennie smiled then, recalling the note that she had found when she did a sweep of the table her newest regulars had occupied. Once again, the tip had been startling, but the sweet note that had been laying on top of the bills had made her tear up. She pulled it out of her pocket, unfolding it to read again silently. “There’s these two new guys that have started coming into Cogs and Coins recently, and according to Amber they keep asking if I’m there with each visit. It’s weird. Normally I’d find that creepy, but... I don’t know, it’s like these two ask for me like I’m something special! I don’t do anything different than the other girls, but whatever I guess. They’re really nice and fun to talk to, and the tips are always a shock to find.

“There’s...there’s something else I wanted to tell you about, Mom.” Wennie tucked some loose hair behind her ear and licked her lips. “I’ve been having some strange dreams lately, and I think they’re trying to tell me something about my birth parents.” She winced visibly, almost like she were ashamed to say such a thing. “I know, I know you said that you’d help me search for them if they were still alive. I know that. I know that you wouldn’t be upset if I had come to you to ask for help either, but you’ve got to understand that you’re ‘mom’ Mom. You took me in when no other foster parents would, and I will never be able to thank you enough for everything you did for me.”

She paused to rub the salty trails from her cheeks, and if Galion hadn’t stopped him in time, Thranduil would have ousted them for certain.

“I don’t know what these dreams mean,” she continued, sucking in a breath to calm herself. “I just know that I don’t want you to think I’m going to betray you if I go looking, wherever you may be now. You’re always going to have a place in my heart, Mom, whether I find my birth parents or not.” She slowly climbed to her feet and dusted her legs off. “And if I do meet them one day, I’ll remember what you said. ‘Act like a lady and politely ask them why they left me’. I’ve got to stop by the store before I go home. I’m going to use some of the tip money I earned this week to get some food to last until payday or Bernard will have a conniption for sure.”

Both Galion and Thranduil had to shuffle around the side of the statue to avoid being seen as Wennie passed by on her bike. Thranduil watched her leave sadly. “Little one, if you only knew,” he murmured, thinking of how distraught Haldir and Morwen would be to learn that their daughter believed she was abandoned. He may not have been thrilled in the beginning with the idea of their bloodlines coming together in marriage but he knew without a doubt that they would never abandon their child!

“Sir, I have some information on Angela Pearson.” They began to walk out of the cemetery with the intended plan of going back to the hotel.

“Go ahead.”

“She was one of the administrators at a Shady Oak Orphanage until her retirement, which coincidentally, is where Lady Ithilwen was discovered. The woman claimed her as her own legally, leaving what possessions she owned to Lady Ithilwen. It seems that she became very ill at the turn of the millennium and slowly went downhill until her death seven years ago.”

“This Angela has no living kin?”

“None alive, save for Lady Ithilwen, more or less.”

Thranduil sighed. “Morwen was right. The child really is alone in the world.” The walk continued on in silence until they passed the same delivery truck. Then a low growl emanated from the taller elf, making Galion turn his head in surprise.

“Sir-?”

“There’s been a change of plans,” was all he said.

* * *

Writing a paper on a Friday night was not how Bernard saw his evening going. To make it worse, it was concerning the fall of the Aztec Empire, needed to be at least eight pages, with five cited sources that no two could come from the same source or source type. Given that it was a broad topic, they were required to create a specific thesis, and naturally he had selected a topic that was giving him the same three results in any academic database search. He had been considering changing his thesis to something more searchable when a hard knock came from his dorm room door.

It wasn’t his roommate, because he had said any work he had due could “get stuffed” cause he was going out to a keg party. Bernard knew he’d be back on Sunday in a panic, begging for help as always.

Reaching for the door, Bernard barely got it open and avoided being hit with the backswing when whomever was on the other side barged in. He was about to respond to the sudden intrusion when he heard the deep voice, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Would you care to explain to my why you neglected to tell any of us - especially my grief-stricken SON - that you had located his reincarnated wife!”

Irritated at being accused of hoarding something so critical to their search, Bernard let the door slam shut as he spun on his heel to face a very angry Thranduil and slightly concerned Galion. “Perhaps you’d like to explain how you come to know that!”

“So you do admit to hiding my daughter-in-law!”

“Hiding would entail that she would be locked in a building! Clearly that’s not the case, is it!”

Galion chose this moment to intervene, stepping between the two elves. “Both of you need to calm yourselves,” he said gently. “This building may be filled with ear drum-busting noise tonight, but you both can still be heard. Veryamorcon,” he continued, looking to Bernard, “we happened upon Lady Ithilwen when we stopped to eat at a restaurant. We followed her this afternoon to a cemetery, so please do excuse my lord. He is still rather unhappy with what little information we were able to glean.”

Bernard didn’t need to be told about Wennie’s past. “Why didn’t you just ask her yourselves?”

"It would have been counterproductive to the cause.”

“And spying on her wasn’t?!”

“Galion-”

“You know my feelings on this afternoon, sir.”

Thranduil growled in frustration as he paced the room. Galion sat down on the far bed while Bernard returned to his desk. “She has been alone for too long!” he protested. “You are her kin, and you kept this information from us! From her parents! From her mate-!”

“I wasn’t about to say anything until I knew for sure that her memories were beginning to return!” Bernard countered. “I have done the best I could to watch over her without her suspecting anything since we met four years ago! Do you know how much that would hurt Legolas to find out she’s been found and doesn’t remember a thing?”

“Actually, I do. I took the initiative and told my son three days ago that we had found her-”

“And you’re jumping down my throat?!”

“Fighting about this is getting us nowhere,” Galion interfered again. As much as he wanted to avoid this conflict he realized it was probably better that he came along. “What matters now is that we stick nearby so that we can be there for her when her memories do start coming back.”

Thranduil looked to the dark haired elf at the desk. “Has she spoken to you of any dreams?”

“No, why?”

“When we observed her in the cemetery this afternoon, she mentioned dreams that she thought had something to do with her birth parents. She didn’t elaborate however.”

Bernard shrugged. “It could be anything, then. Finals are coming up in about two weeks. She could be stressing about those already. Now if there’s nothing else that you need to interrogate me on, I have an Aztec thesis I need to revise before Monday.”

Galion rose from his seat and followed Thranduil to the door. “And this probably goes without saying,” Thranduil added. “Legolas didn’t take the news well. He was ready to fly over here.”

“I’m not surprised.” “We’ll be vacating our hotel room shortly, so call the cell if something happens.”

“Of course.” 

* * *

During the night, Wennie was having another one of her strange dreams.

In the past when it was crunch time just before an important event, such as a final exam, Wennie’s stress would accumulate to the point of boiling over into her resting hours. On most times she was witnessing accounts of large buildings burning to the ground, likely a symbol of her fears of not being prompt.

Then there was another dream that involved stopping in her bedroom door, only to find that her room was covered from floor to ceiling in arachnids of all sizes, and she couldn’t scream. She took this to mean that she was afraid that if she asked for help outright, she would either be ignored or told to “suck it up”.

Finally, one of her most memorable dreams began doing a mundane activity - brushing her teeth. Something compelled her to stop and lift her top lip up, curiously. It was illogical and impossible given the construction of the human skull, but in her mirror’s reflection she could distinctly see the bone holding the top row of teeth sticking out of her gums. She felt no pain, and oddly it didn’t terrify her in the dream, not even when she reached up to “pop” the bone back into the opening in the gums. What this had to do with anything was lost on Wennie, and not even her dentist could explain why she might have experienced such an event on her next checkup.

But these dreams were like a walk in the park. In fact, it was almost like they were in a park. The area was widespread and very serene, but the trees were larger than anything she had ever seen in San Francisco. These looked like they had lived for thousands of years. In a rare moment she would see lights that gave off a soft glow to the area, which make the long fabrics and loose hair she saw float by even more magical.

When dawn approached and her alarm once more made its existence known, Wennie reached for the small notebook she kept in the drawer of her side table. It was once a private journal that she had written in once every eight months for a grand total of two entries. She then turned it into a dream journal, finding she could get more entertainment out of rereading old dreams and decoding them. The beginning pages were well-written and coherent to someone not familiar with her, but the most recent...

Notes were scribbled down hastily, either trying to preserve them or in a hurry for work. Small drawings were also scattered in the latest pages, depicting some of the scenery she had seen, along with what she assumed were rings crafted with an insane amount of detail...

“This is ridiculous,” Wennie muttered to the room. “I’m thinking way too much into this when I should be getting ready for work.”

Dropping the book into the drawer after she added the latest details, she went about her morning “work” routine; shower, dress, style hair and makeup, put something in the stomach, and check the purse to make sure she had everything. The tip money she had used at the grocery the day before allowed her to buy some actual breakfast food. Frozen toaster waffles obviously weren’t the best choice, but it was quick, portable, and they were on a “two for three” sale. She even splurged and went for the round waffles instead of the bulky square ones that never heated through all four corners, no matter how many times they were turned.

Wennie shoved the last mouthful of toaster waffle in her mouth before grabbing her bike and going out the door. She was so busy focusing on making sure she had locked her apartment door that she nearly ran into a large stack of boxes that almost filled the floor’s landing.

‘Oh. Guess I got new neighbors across the hall,’ she thought. ‘How bout that.’

Then a familiar voice echoed behind the boxes that caught her attention, and soon enough the voice revealed itself to be the long, dark haired man that she had come to see as a table regular. The man was looking down the steps and therefore didn’t see her until she steered her bike to rest against a portion of unused wall. “Oh, hello my dear! Fancy seeing you around these parts!”

Wennie closed the distance to meet him, returning the handshake he offered. “It’s good to see you and your colleague found a place!” she said warmly, noticing that the taller blond man had nearly crested the flight of stairs with another set of boxes. “It looks like you guys are just moving in. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Thranduil took one look at the young woman and knew that she was offering to help even when she was supposed to be working. Had her situation been any different and she had the free time, he might have accepted. “We will be fine,” he assured her. “From the looks of things, it appears that you are heading to work, correct? We would not wish to keep you from your work.”

Galion had since slid some of the larger boxes on the landing into the apartment to free up space so she could get by. He was just coming back to collect the boxes Thranduil held when she spoke again.

“Yeah, well if I didn’t need the money so bad I’d take a “sick” leave like most of them decide to do,” she half-joked. “So I guess I’ll be seeing you two later today...er...is there something I can call my two new neighbors?” The brunette chuckled at her question. Not once had they introduced themselves to Wennie, which left her to greet them as “Hey new regulars”, or something similar.

“I am...Thranduil,” the once-king said, surprising his friend. Wennie had looked slightly confused until he walked her through the pronunciation, and for her credit she picked it up rather fast.

“And I am Galion,” the attendant replied.

“It’s nice to put names to faces, Thranduil and Galion,” Wennie smiled. “Interesting names too. They sound very...old world to me.”

“You have no idea,” Thranduil muttered under his breath.

Wennie didn’t seem to pay him any mind, moving to retrieve her bike after shaking each man’s hand once more. “I’ve got to to get to work, but it’s great seeing you guys. Congratulations on getting the apartment, and wicked cool that we’re neighbors! You two will have to come over some time so we can get to know each other better!”

A final wave from the woman and she had disappeared down the twist of stairs. Only after Galion felt she had gotten far enough away did he choose to question his lord. “Was it wise to give her our real names?”

“I believe so. After all, she did say that she wished to get to know us better. Were those not her exact words?”

“Yes but-” It was the predatory grin that crossed Thranduil’s face that stopped Galion mid-sentence, knowing in an instant that what Wennie had suggested was a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Veryamorcon” = Bernard
> 
> And those dreams speak volumes about my ability to handle exam stress. Yes, they were real. Even the tooth one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always that one person that catches hell from everyone around them. All because their intentions were good.

“I cannot believe how far I have fallen, Galion. I was once a ruler of an entire kingdom!”  
  
The brunette resisted the urge to sigh. They had only finished moving in their belongings earlier that morning after their encounter with Wennie, and the last of the delivery men had recently left with after depositing stacks of boxes in the living room. He honestly expecting his friend to begin complaining sooner.  
  
“Look at this!” Thranduil continued, gesturing wildly to their environment. “This room alone isn’t even the size of my bathroom back home! The kitchen could fit in the pantry - with room left over for the bathroom! The price of this apartment is far too high for what it’s worth!”  
  
“Sire,” Galion fell into formalities just to irritate him, “A month’s salary could buy the entire building-”  
  
The noise of disgust the king made was rather unkingly. “If that is your attempt at a joke, it failed miserably!”  
  
Galion only grinned, but then his look turned serious as he addressed him again. “You’d do it for Ithilwen, wouldn’t you?”  
  
Thranduil was silent at first. “She deserves better than this,” he said. “Much better. She has better! She just...”  
  
“Just doesn’t know it yet,” his friend finished for him. Galion was pleased to hear in his friend’s tone that the soft spot the princess had once burrowed into him for her eccentricities hadn’t worn away. For a while he had grown concerned that with the lack of clues in their search, his disposition towards her would have reverted, making it that much harder for the girl when she began to remember.   
  
Producing a box cutter, the brunette waved it towards the stack of boxes occupying their living room space. “Might I suggest we begin to put together the rest of the furniture? It could do you some good to feel like you’ve accomplished something.”  
  
Thranduil took the offered tool and slid it through the wide tape on one box end. “The only thing I have managed to accomplish is keeping my son away from here,” he said as he pulled the narrow end of the box open. “I don’t know how long that will last, however.”  
  
Not having the patience to individually remove each piece from the box, Thranduil hefted the box into the air and upended it, spilling the contents out into the floor in a loud clash of panels, bags of fastenings, plastic sheets, and instructions. Shrugging his shoulders, he tossed the box across the room to land behind their couch. Galion had been watching silently as the pile of construction pooled between their feet. “Can you do that again with the next box?” he asked seriously. “I imagine your wife would find it most amusing if I could get it on video.”  
  
“Only if you can refrain yourself from making those ‘that’s what she said’ comments while we work,” he muttered distractedly, squatting down to search for the instruction booklet.  
  
“I can’t make that promise, my lord.”  
  
“I didn’t figure you would.” When Thranduil could locate the guide, it took him several attempts just to locate the proper language. “Elebreth help me,” he groaned, “They really are ‘Tab A’ and ‘Slot B’ instructions!”  
  
“That’s what-”  
  
“I will throw you back to Valinor, Galion!”  
  
“And then how would you function without me?” his friend grinned. “Do you even know how to put together these kinds of cabinets?”  
  
The silence that followed proved he did not.  
  
“And I suppose you do?” Thranduil looked to him almost hopefully.  
  
Galion took the booklet and skimmed the diagrams, brow furrowing. “Actually I do not,” he stated, only for the booklet to be yanked from his hands as the king swatted him with it. “We are elves, however! We should be able to figure out mortal construction!”  
  
It took them two hours to put together one bookshelf.

* * *

How was it logical for the faculty, knowing that the term’s students were in the middle of preparations for their final exams, to blatantly tell them “You need to drop everything you’re doing and meet with your adviser - now” in reference to registration for fall classes? Wennie never thought much of it in her first years, but then she hadn’t had as difficult a time balancing her schedule then either. Now she was beginning to think that the faculty just didn’t give a shit.  
  
Naturally, her adviser was a finicky person to catch on a good day, and any of the available times she had checked in to book were filled once she had gotten ahold of someone. This left her with two options; she could miss a day’s pay and go talk with her adviser the next morning, or she’d have to wait until after her exams were over, when the adviser would have time slots available for “last minute” appointments. The answer was a no-brainer. She’d rather get the exasperated look from her adviser for “waiting so long” instead of getting dressed in the dark, because the electric company wouldn’t have been as sympathetic. Had Wennie’s schedule been normal, she could have easily explained herself, but when every waitress starts dropping shifts out of the blue that becomes harder to justify. “I’m sorry but I really need the money” wasn’t something she could outright say. Given it was summer, wedding fever had taken off in spades, and the girls at Cogs and Coins were all going on honeymoon simultaneously it seemed.   
  
Well, everyone but Wennie.  
  
The restaurant being cut down to a few waitresses for the entire day meant she was working longer so the already married could leave to take care of their children. It was like her high school reunion all over again, except this time she was required to stay.  
  
Wennie couldn’t help it. She began to feel resentful of all the happy couples that came into the restaurant, even the embarrassed parents that couldn’t get their children to behave. It’s not that she wanted to jump on the wedding bandwagon, just that she felt like she had a gaping hole in her chest that nothing she was doing was filling. But then, how would she juggle a relationship right now? She could barely keep her eyes open in lecture some days, and when she wasn’t studying she was working to pay the bills that seemed to tack on more “required” fees each month. She lacked any cute clothes for a date, and at this point she was pretty sure she’d accidentally server her date their meal out of habit.  
  
As she ended the call with her adviser, who had sighed dramatically at another late-case, she groaned. Perhaps the Fates were conspiring with her school to keep her stressed.

* * *

“I want to speak with her.”  
  
“What did I tell you?” Thranduil sighed over the phone. “I said no.”  
  
“But she is my mate!” came the response.  
  
“She doesn’t know that!” the older elf’s face was pinched in frustration. Ever since Legolas had been told that she had been found, he wanted to get to her. At the very least speak to her over the phone, which was understandable, but Thranduil could only imagine the terrified expression on the girl’s face as some stranger began to pour declarations of love unto her all the way from Scotland. He had yet to even tell her about his son. There just didn’t seem to be an appropriate time to bring the conversation up, and she was stressed enough.   
  
“Listen to me, ion-nin. Galion and I have only been around her for a few weeks, and in these few weeks I can see why Bernard was so apt to withhold this information from us-”  
  
“He knows?” Legolas asked confused. “And what do you mean by ‘withheld’?”  
  
From the small kitchen Thranduil could see Galion shake his head as if to say ‘You’re on your own, sire’ when he looked to his friend for assistance. “He has been watching over Ithilwen since she began her course of study in this city. They started in the same year, and he has gone out of his way to become her closest friend.”  
  
There was silence from his son, and Thranduil couldn’t be sure if he was plotting revenge against her kin for this discrepance or something else. When he did choose to speak, he had turned the subject away from the other ellon. “How is she doing, if you won’t let me speak with her.”  
  
“She is doing rather well, Legolas. Her studies are proving fruitful, even if she does not believe so. It appears that discussing her lessons with us helps to review the material. There will be examinations at the end of the week, and naturally she is quite stressed about them.”  
  
“Ithilwen will do fine,” Legolas said with pride. She was very bright in her studies as an elleth; he had no doubts that she would far exceed her own expectations.  
  
“I know she will,” Thranduil agreed. “However, she is also anxious about her place of work. The young women in the establishment have chosen to take their vacation time at the worst possible moment, putting her one of the few with extra hours to fill. Rest assured, I have seen her at the busiest of times, and she can handle the stress.”  
  
Legolas still didn’t like the thought of his mate working as a waitress, but Thranduil told him she enjoyed interacting with the customers, who for the most part were quite friendly. As their conversation carried on into the afternoon, he told his son that she was beginning to speak to him and Galion about the strange dreams she was having. All involved in the discussion knew of what the woman spoke, but they couldn’t tell her that she was regaining fragments of her former life.   
  
From her descriptions, it wasn’t much more than bits of landscape and the occasional artifact or cloth revealing itself to her before she woke. Still, it was more than any of them expected, and it was a blessing for a desperate mate to hear.  
  
The only thing concerning Wennie that Thranduil never mentioned to Legolas was the current living arrangements of his mate. He never told him how she dressed in hand-me-downs, nor how she spent her waitressing tips to buy highly-processed groceries for cheap. He didn’t tell her that she was wearing her mortal body down physically as she struggled to keep her apartment and sink further into debt as she attended school.   
  
From his standpoint, it looked as if her entire world could fall apart around her, but she never brought attention to her problems. It was a trait that he respected, but it also drove him mad.

* * *

“Come get a cup of coffee with me.” Bernard had said. “We can go over our work.” Bernard had persuaded.  
  
So why was Wennie sitting in the small business coffee shop being given a list of online video channels to watch in her free time? “I thought we were supposed to be discussing our work?” she ground out before taking a sip of her coffee. “The biology final is Friday, Bernard. I’m still struggling to keep the specific phases between mitosis and meiosis straight.”  
  
Bernard held up two spoons. “Mitosis is like the production of these spoons, right? The machine that forms the spoons is like the parent cell that produces the identical “daughter” cells.” He set them down and gestured between himself and Wennie. “Meiosis is different in that only select cells can go through this process. Me and you - we’re different-”  
  
“Obviously,” Wennie snorted into her cup.  
  
“That’s what I’m getting at!” Bernard huffed. “Pretty much all cells can go through mitosis, but meiosis is used for reproduction, since it scrambles the genetic composition of the parent cells to create something entirely new. There’s similarities between the parent cells and the “daughter” cells, and they both have distinct characteristics as well.” He leaned back in his seat smugly. “There, we discussed. Happy?”  
  
“I still need to study.” She frowned.  
  
“Just remember what I said and you’ll be fine. It’s multiple choice anyway, so you will be able to narrow down all the wrong answers.”  
  
Another person approached their table, setting down a small dish of freshly baked cookies. “Thought I’d bring these myself,” the new voice said. “So how’s the finals-prep going?”  
  
“Unorthodox, Thia,” Wennie grinned, looking up at the young woman.   
  
Thia was another college classmate, a nursing major that had been debating on going back for dental study after graduation. She was quite peculiar in appearance, but Wennie found her sense of style refreshing. Her hair was a dark brown with bright streaks of aqua and pink; it had been her that talked Wennie into her current dye job. It suited her tanned skin and only made her violet eyes pop out brighter than they normally were. She was one of the employees under the elusive Nicholas Nordic, an older man that held the reigns of a small toy store as well.   
  
Wennie had never seen him, but she had been told by Thia that he knew all about his regular customers to the coffee shop. That was how there were always freshly baked chocolate chip-walnut cookies waiting whenever she visited. Creepy or not, they were good cookies!  
  
“Is Bernard here messing you up?” Thia teased.  
  
“I am not!”  
  
“Oh you know I’m joking!”  
  
Bernard mumbled something into his mug as Wennie focused her attention on the bohemian-dressed woman. “I think it’s just my nerves,” she said. “Come the day of the exam I probably won’t have anything to worry about once I see the questions.” Thia smiled. “You shouldn’t have any problems, Wennie! You’re way smarter than you give yourself credit for; you just need to take study breaks or you’ll burnout!”  
  
“That reminds me,” Bernard spoke up again, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a folded slip of notebook paper. “This is for you.”  
  
Wennie took the paper and unfolded it, brows furrowing in confusion as she read the contents aloud. “What is this, B? ‘Danisnotonfire’...’Grav3yardgirl’....’Good Mythical Morning’....’We Four Girls’....’Leighannsays’.... Tell me this isn’t a list of code words for the types of bacteria or something...”  
  
Thia snorted and tried her best to hide it, but Bernard had no issue with laughing out loud at her inquiry. “They’re video bloggers, Wennie,” he told her. “These are the names of the channels they run.”  
  
“And why are you giving it to me?”  
  
“To watch! You do have periods of time when you’re not in class and you’re not working-”  
  
“It’s called being asleep-”  
  
Bernard groaned. “You know what I mean. Just check out some of their recent videos when you feel you need a break. I’m telling you that you’ll enjoy them, and it’ll help clear your head.”  
  
The bell at the shop’s entrance rang as a couple entered, dressed for their shift with the required hats and aprons. Thia noticed them first and flagged them over. “About time you two got here! My shift’s almost over and I wanted to go see the new flower shipments Mister Aster got this morning!”  
  
The light blond woman smiled apologetically. “Sorry Thia, but I’ve been having problems with getting Jack to wear the hat-” “I think it’s ridiculous-”  
  
“It’s a baseball cap, Jack!”  
  
“Exactly! I am not tossing hotdogs at Rigley Field!”  
  
“It’s blue! Be satisfied with that!” The woman turned and took notice of who sat at the table Thia was standing beside. “Hey you two! How’s biology going? I’m taking that next month so I want to brace myself.”  
  
“You’ll find it easier spread out over sixteen weeks instead of eight,” Wennie told her honestly. She had been about to elaborate when Bernard asked the new pair if they had any recommendations for video blog channels that she could look into.  
  
“Pewdiepie definitely,” Jack said. “I got a kick out of the Slenderman ones. Esther here nearly hit the ceiling...”  
  
Esther shuddered. “But which one? There’s so many.” Wennie noticed that she also sported a sparkling engagement ring. Of course she had been told weeks ago by the younger freshmen that Jack had proposed, but any plans to marry would be arranged only after both graduated from college.  
  
“I guess I’m going to be kept busy, huh?” Wennie asked the group, trying to ignore the slight sting she felt at seeing another happy couple before her.

* * *

Bernard knew it was coming. It was expected, after all. Once the father knew the secret that he had kept from the family for the past few years, it was only a matter of time before the son would come to call upon his doorstep as well. Luckily, Bernard had the fortune of it being a phonecall instead, thanks in part to Thranduil’s orders for him to stay away.   
  
He had been asleep when the prince called, the horrid ringtone jarring him awake. His roommate Chris was already awake and moving around their dorm room. “Hello?” he said, not paying attention to where the call was coming from.  
  
“You knew.” The words were laced with fury that the dark haired elf couldn’t blame him for.  
  
“He told you,” Bernard said instead, now more awake. “Look, like I told your dad, I had my reasons-”  
  
“You still knew-”  
  
“And I wanted to tell you, believe me!” He watched as Chris searched all around his bed for a clean pair of jeans, clad in of all things Spongebob Squarepants boxers. The blond man found one pair, and to Bernard’s horror, sniffed the jeans before deeming them acceptable and pulled them on. Apparently as long as they didn’t make their way to the communal washing machines on their own they were ‘clean’. “I wanted to tell everyone for years about this, but I couldn’t! Do you know how hard that was!”  
  
“I know how hard it was to spend agonizing centuries waiting for my mate to be reborn, only to find out from my father that you have known for years about her whereabouts,” Legolas seethed on the other end of the line. “Do you know how hard that was?” he mocked.  
  
It was only after Chris left the dorm room with his pile of laundry that Bernard let loose. “No, I don’t know, Legolas!” he said truthfully. “My mate is alive and well! I’m a great sod that has held the information about his cousin’s existence from her mate and her parents for so long that I think I’ve developed and ulcer from the stress of not being able to say anything! But do you want to know why I haven’t said anything, Legolas? Do you?! It’s because I couldn’t even tell her of her past life! She doesn’t know anything! She doesn’t recognize any of us for who we really are to her! How do you think I’d feel if I said ‘Oh and by the way Ithilwen’s alive but she doesn’t remember you’?! I can’t imagine what it would do to you if she were to meet you and treat you like a complete stranger!”  
  
Bernard was up and moving around the room now as he shot off his excuses in rapid-fire. “I’m sorry, Legolas! From the deepest part of my heart and fëa I am sorry! Believe me, if you were in my place I would probably be riding your ass for not telling me you found Melda!” He paused to take a deep breath. “You have to understand, I was afraid to hurt you more by telling you sooner than later. I fully intended to come clean when she began to remember things, but that idea’s been shot.”  
  
On the other side of the line, Legolas had been listening intently to the shorter elf unleash everything he had been holding in. He was still pissed to be honest, but from what Bernard was telling him, it seemed Thranduil had already covered every point. “I haven’t told anyone else yet,” he finally spoke. “I’ve made sure Adar will not as well, but at our next check-in I expect you to tell Haldir and Morwen. They need to know.”  
  
“I know,” Bernard sighed. “And I will.” He slumped down onto the edge of the bed. “Would you like to hear about how we met?” Legolas’ voice perked at that. “That would be nice.”  
  
“Now keep in mind we’ve only been...friends...for about four years, and I’m still learning about her second childhood, so she’ll be the one to ask about that stuff. I think it was the freshmen move-in week that we met. At the college campus there were events being held through the week for newcoming students to help get them acquainted with everything. I had just finished moving the last of my stuff into my dorm room, so I was taking a walk around. When I saw Ithilwen, I knew it was her. She was looking around the courtyard for the library I think, and that was how I introduced myself. I told her I was a freshmen as well that was still learning the locations, and we toured the campus together. We were even lucky enough to share a couple classes together that semester, and from then on I tried to sign up for at least one class with her so she wouldn’t be alone.” “Does Ithilwen live in the dorms?”  
  
“Nah, she’s got this small apartment near her work and the college,” Bernard chose not to go into specifics on said apartment, since he had laundry to do as well. “Has your dad told you she goes by ‘Wennie’?”  
  
“I...did not...know that.”  
  
“It’s short for Winifred,” he elaborated. “It’s the name her foster mother gave her, I learned, but she always called her Wennie. And before you ask, she passed on before I met Ithilwen, though she tells me that the woman took good care of her.” “Morwen will be pleased to know that then.” A thought struck Legolas then, and he had to know. “Where does my adar and Galion reside, Bernard?”  
  
“He didn’t tell you? They’re living in the apartment right across the hall from Ithilwen!”   
  
Bernard was surprised that he didn’t hear the laughter from Europe even after he hung up the phone, but it seemed that his discrepancy was forgiven with this piece of information.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Wennie returned to her apartment, and to her fortune, it seemed that everyone had turned in for the night. She had no qualms with her new, curious neighbors, but she didn’t want to have to explain that she was required to stay late and help clean after closing. She felt bad enough that Bernard waited up to take her home, especially since he had a history final that called for a decent amount of sleep.  
  
Shucking her bicycle to an empty corner of her living room, she unzipped her boots and toed them off, beginning to shed layer after layer of clothes as she walked to the bedroom. Stripped down to her underwear, Wennie debated on whether to keep the bra on a little longer, deciding immediately that it had to go. She pulled on a soft pair of sleep clothes and walked back to the kitchen. Bernard had reminded her to watch at least one video before she went to sleep, and knowing him he’d probably have a quiz prepared just to make sure she listened. And since she was going to be up, she might as well find something to eat. “I really have to go to the store soon,” she mumbled, searching her cabinets. “I’m even out of ramen noodles! How the hell does anyone run out of those things!?”  
  
Rooting around in the fridge proved to be a little more successful. Inside Wennie found a small amount of taco-seasoned ground chuck that wasn’t much good for one taco. She also spotted the last pinch of lettuce, a smidge of cheddar cheese in the back and a jar of salsa, but she was out of tortilla shells. She pulled these items out anyway and set them on the counter, tapping her chin. Her stomach had decided that it wanted this arrangement, but she needed something to hold it all together. Upon doing another sweep of the cabinets in hopes of finding a bag of soft shells that had magically appeared, Wennie squealed in delight when she found a third of a bag of fritos. She pulled the chip clip off and tried one of them. Near-stale, but with stuff on them they were more edible.  
  
Minutes later Wennie had dumped the taco meat, salsa, and cheese into a small bowl and heated it in the microwave. She shredded the good bits of lettuce and dumped it in the bag, adding the lumpy, red-orange concoction from the microwave next. It looked a mess but it smelt wonderful, and that was how she justified eating what she called the ‘garbage frito taco’. Wennie rolled the bag down like a shirt sleeve and grabbed a fork. The way she saw it, the less dishes to wash tonight, the better.  
  
With her late-night meal propped on her thigh, she booted up her laptop and opened her internet browser, clicking the video site bookmark. Perhaps it was the lack of socialization on her part, or that she was always studying or working lately, but she had never heard of video blogging before. With this video sharing website, she always assumed that it was filled with home movies that had been transferred from older media or video of bulldogs riding skateboards.  
  
She told herself that she would watch two videos from each channel on her list before she went to bed. That would give her time to eat, relax, and hopefully get sleepy. Starting with ‘Danisnotonfire’, she found that these vloggers were nothing like what she expected.   
  
This young man’s videos were scary-accurate in some points, but the culture shock was evident when she went to the next channel. This young woman was located in Texas and made more facial expressions than Wennie had ever witnessed one person make in the span of ten minutes. She found she enjoyed the videos where infomercial products were tested, and even if it was disappointing that many didn’t work, the tests alone were worth watching. Next came a duo whose logo looked like a fire-breathing chicken in their latest season. These two seemed to have done a number of internet challenges, including eating the elusive ghost pepper. After watching the tall man try to punch the wall after biting into the pepper, she moved to the next channel.  
  
The channel ‘We 4 Girls’ was straightforward in its name; it was one channel hosted by four young women who all worked at a company and did the videos for fun. There were the occasional inspirational videos, one or two directed at something that called for a rant, and some that were the types of things that most vloggers filmed. Given that she couldn’t find two recent ones that featured all of the women, Wennie watched a third as well. The brunette and the redhead of the group participated in the Chubby Bunny challenge, and the redhead kept pulling faces with each addition, making the brunette laugh more. The strawberry blonde uploaded a video days ago about the things she considered her favorites for the previous month and what she liked about them. Finally, the other blond did a makeup tutorial on a light-and-frosty themed look for the Christmas season.  
  
Having long-finished her mishmash of leftover food, Wennie got up to toss the empty bag in the trash when she saw that it was almost 2:30 in the morning. Wincing, she allowed herself to watch only two more videos before going to sleep. She’d have a late class thankfully, but she still had to cover a shift before and afterwards. With that she selected one from the ‘Leighannsays’ channel about everything she currently carried in her purse. For the other, she watched the first of the multipart series of ‘Pewdiepie’ playing Outlast.   
  
The next time she saw Jack she was going to get him for making her spit her soda across the room because of his suggestion. It was bad enough that she feared she had laughed hard enough to wake the rest of the building. It was worse that most of the soda came up her nose.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schrödinger's call - ask questions and become more anxious or remain blissfully ignorant of the important things until Judgment Day?

“Attention! Attention! This meeting of the last Eldar in New-Middle-Earth is now in session! Please rise for our esteemed leader-”

“That doesn’t get any funnier the longer you keep doing it, Fiona,” Legolas growled through the conference room.

The strawberry blond’s image wrinkled its nose. “What’s up with you today? You get your panties in a bunch or something?”

Tauriel appeared on screen then, leaning over Legolas’ occupied chair. “You know my brother doesn’t wear unde-”  
“No way! I thought that was just a joke!”

“His father’s the same,” Miraear chimed in from Legolas’ other side. “Neither one has the patience when it comes to-”

“Can we change the subject?” Thranduil demanded. “This matter is not of anyone else’s concern-”

Celeborn felt obliged to remind the former king. “Was it not yourself that said that we all were now family on the day of your son and my granddaughter’s binding ceremony?”

“That does not mean we share details of what we wear-”

“-Or don’t apparently-” Elrohir muttered.

“-underneath our clothes!” Thranduil finished. “Don’t think I failed to hear you Elrohir.”

The dark haired ellon shrugged, not at all fearful of his safety while the woodland king was so many timezones behind him at the moment. “But in support of what he said, why are we meeting now? I thought our schedule had been set for the rest of the year?”

“Things have changed,” Legolas said simply. “And I believe Bernard is the one best suited for explaining.”

The lone elf sitting in his dorm room gulped as if everyone was physically there. Legolas had outed him and gave him the floor to confess. He really hoped Haldir would be merciful...

“Legolas is right,” he swallowed, trying to find his courage. “The thing is... I found Ithilwen...almostfouryearsago.”

There was a pause in the connection as everyone not privy absorbed this information, and once it sunk in, there was a clamoring of voices. Some asked how she was, others asked why he didn’t say anything sooner, but the two people he was most concerned about were his aunt and uncle. In the small window, both appeared to be in disbelief, looking on as if they could see him to confirm this. Given the length of time in their search, it was understandable to be skeptical, and the ellon did not feel the least bit offended as Thranduil came forward as a second witness.

Morwen had begun to cry, hanging onto Haldir’s shoulders. The marchwarden had looked more his actual age than normal, which was startling. For so long they had to wait for any scrap of news concerning their daughter, and he had known for damn near four years. In four years he could have done something besides observe and shadow her. He could have nudged her in the right direction and sped up the process-

“Or you could have pushed her away, Veryamorcon. Your decision was wisely chosen.”

“I don’t think I will ever get used to your abilities, Grandmother,” Bernard smiled. “I appreciate the encouragement, but it doesn’t make me feel any less guilty about holding it in for so long.”

The noise of the conference room had begun to quiet back down, and many of the webcam screens were filled with concerned faces that begged to ask the question: ‘Where do we go from here?’.

Legolas reclined back in his seat and stated, “Bernard, Galion, and Adar are watching over my mate for the time being, and I trust them entirely with any matters that should arise. As for the rest of us, we will continue on with our mortal guises as normal. When Ithilwen regains her memories and chooses to see us, we will go from there. I will not force her into doing anything she is not prepared for, even if it may kill me to not see her.”

Miraear patted his shoulder comfortingly. “I know you’re speaking figuratively, Legolas, but if you scare your naneth like that again I will not hesitate to tan your hide,” she told him sweetly. “I don’t care if you are a married ellon.”

“While we are speaking of marriage...” Celeborn began, drawing the attention away from the veiled threat of the woodland queen, “...can someone explain why four married ellith are carrying on like younglings without regard for rules?”

Again, the room fell silent as many of them tried to figure out what Celeborn was saying. It was Melda that answered, breaking the quiet with an exclamation of “Oooh! That’s our company video channel!”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Silima added, “It’s mostly the four of us filming video blogs about all kinds of things.”

“It is a way for them to goof off,” Legolas clarified.

“Is not!” Tauriel retorted. “It’s good promotion for the company!”

Legolas looked at his sister. “And how is a video about stuffing marshmallows in your cheeks and mumbling ‘Chubby Bunny’ any kind of promotion for environmentally-friendly products?”

“It shows that we’re down-to-earth. Let’s the people know that we’re approachable and friendly, unlike a lot of big corporations.”

“Speaking of videos,” Galion broke in, “Would a video of our king putting together a bookcase be worthy of going viral?”  
“I had it under control, Galion.”

“Did he swear?” Miraear asked interestedly.

“Like a sailor working for Cirdan,” the attendant replied with a grin.

Glorfindel, who had been unusually silent during most of the meeting had to make his interest known then. “I don’t care if it goes viral or not, Galion - send me a copy of that video!”

“I had it under control,” Thranduil stated again, this time with more force.

“Sir, you upended the box and dumped everything out like a child-”

“Please don’t do that with my granddaughter, Thranduil,” Celeborn teased.

For once the king groaned out loud. “Everything is under control!”

* * *

“How do you manage to do anything at this school?”

It had been on a whim for Wennie to ask her new neighbors if they wanted to come with Bernard and herself to the campus bookstore. She passed them on the stairs and threw out the invitation out of politeness. She didn’t think they’d follow her!  
“It’s...uh...interesting.” Bernard really had no words to describe the four-year school’s orientation week. In the hopes of getting first pick of the textbooks they’d need, the pair decided to arrive the first day the bookstore would be available to charge. However, this meant weaving through the hundreds of new students, their families, and the numerous campus activities to draw out student participation. “You’d be surprised how quickly you can get used to a new place like this,” he told the two elves.

“I can only imagine,” Thranduil frowned. Ever since he had stormed Bernard’s dorm room with Galion at his side, he had been spending time researching the particulars of this college to determine if it was good enough for his daughter-in-law. The academia was well enough, as was the graduation rate, but he was reconsidering those numbers as he watched a mass of new students be herded by one of the volunteer staff from one building to another. With his excellent hearing he could tell that some of the parents weren’t ready to let go just yet, some of the students were nervous, and another portion were gossiping about the weekend parties.

Wennie pursed her lips as they reached the entrance to the bookstore. The four had been waiting in line for at least twenty minutes just to get into the store. Campus officers were directing traffic inside while the bookstore employees bustled about with book lists while the ladened-down students struggled to follow. “You know you two don’t have to wait in line with me and Bernard,” she said distractedly. “It’s going to be a lot of waiting even when we get inside. If you think this line is bad, waiting to checkout can be worse.”

Thranduil looked down at the blond as she fiddled with the book list and her student ID. He happened to overhear her talk with the receptionist at the foldout table upon entering that she’d be cleared to charge her books to her financial aid account. It was clear that she was relying on federal assistance to go to school, because a waitressing position - even with overtime - could barely pay tuition for a term, much less books. Was she embarrassed to use this method of payment? He didn’t see why she should be. Her high marks on her summer exams just showed that she was making every red cent worth it.

“Don’t be silly, my dear,” he told her. “I am patient. I can wait.”

Galion coughed into his hand as Bernard grinned. “You’re son is more patient than you,” he blurted out quickly.  
Before Thranduil could admonish Galion for his words, Wennie looked at them. “You have a son?” she asked.  
“I do,” he nodded lightly. “As well as a daughter. My wife is with them both presently.”

Wennie nodded. “That’s neat. How old are they, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Thranduil wanted to tell her straight up their ages, but she’d take it as sarcasm. “About your age, I would wager,” he told her instead. “How old are you, out of curiosity?” The closer they could pinpoint her age to the elven equivalent, the better. Especially before Legolas is even in the same country with her. While he was sure his son was patient, he wasn’t certain that he’d be able to control himself once he saw her again.

“I’m...well...” Wennie shifted her weight on either foot. “I’m...34...according to my birth certificate. To be honest when I was a baby my foster mom had to have all of this stuff created, since I didn’t have records for anything when she found me.”  
“She thinks she’s older than she is,” Bernard told the other elves knowingly.

Wennie stuck her tongue out at him as they entered the bookstore. “I’ll have you know that I look good for my age - whatever it really is!”

* * *

Since the arrival of her new neighbors, Wennie’s life had become anything but mundane.

Whenever they would meet in the hallways of the apartment or Cogs and Coins, they’d exchange light conversation about general life, but then it progressed to personal background information. There was more than one time that she felt she was giving more to this conversation than Thranduil or Galion, but she wrote it off as a shyness, and that they would open up about their lives in time. When neither one was asking about how her childhood events, the topic of discussion was about how she was doing in her current classes.

Talk about school were typically held over weekend takeout dinners delivered late at night, since they always seemed to be awake when she returned from work. These talks eventually turned into invitations out around town on her days off from school and work. While minimal at best, these were days that Wennie looked forward to, she was surprised to discover one night before bed. It was a nice change from her routine, and it was pleasant to talk candidly with her neighbors. How it happened, she had no idea, just as she couldn’t believe she was already labeling them as friends after so short a time of meeting.

It was at the end of August when Wennie was just beginning to get into the swing of her school schedule in relation to her work schedule. The overtime had slacked off, but she still took on extra shifts when she was able.

Unfortunately her routine was about to be changed for the worse.

“Guys, this decision did not come easy for me, but I have to do what is best for my family. I wanted to let you know that by this time next month you’ll have a new manager to take my place.”

The outburst from the employees was expected. Their manager, Terry, had been there when each of them arrived with their job applications, and over time he had become an integral part of their “work family”. Finding out that he was leaving to better support his family was reasonable, but it didn’t mean they wouldn’t miss him.

“Who’s this new guy?” Gene asked, crossing his arms.

“I can’t say for sure,” Terry replied. “Vick told me that he’d be coming in from New York, but that’s all I know. When I know more you will.”

“He’d best not mess up our routine,” Olivia pouted. “We’ve got a system that works! The business could suffer if it’s changed!”  
This brought out more murmurs of nervousness and speculation. Terry gestured for the group to quiet down before he spoke. “If in the event that the new guy decides to make changes to Cogs and Coins, keep in mind that it might be for the best. Vick said that he’d studied extensively the way businesses around the world work, so give him the benefit of the doubt?”  
Wennie chewed her lip in silence as the gossip bubbled up again around her. While she had no doubts that Terry was giving them encouragement, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of trepidation the more she thought about a new boss, even if Vick, their founder, had personally selected him.

That evening when she returned home, she was never more glad to see Galion on her way upstairs, and even moreso when he invited her over for a late dessert. The prospect of brownies and unloading her worries on a pair of friendly ears never sounded so good.

* * *

By the start of September it has become a habit for Galion or Thranduil to walk in Wennie’s apartment at a moment’s notice. It was a testament of how much she had come to welcome them into her life the day they exchanged spare keys. The only other person before them that held a spare was Bernard, and that was only after a year of getting to know each other. She couldn’t figure out what it was about these two men that made her feel secure in this decision. Perhaps it was the fact that she saw them as fatherly-type figures as well... But of course Thranduil was a father. He had told her that he had a family back in Europe that he missed greatly. She never pressed for names, assuming that if he wanted to tell her he would.

Wennie discovered after exchanging spare keys with the two men that she was seeing differences in her apartment. It started out with the piles of notes she had left on the coffee table being stacked neatly and in order of course competencies. Then there would be nights she would return from work to find that either man had taken the care to retrieve her mail for her. These things she didn’t mind. She knew that if the roles were reversed she would gladly step in to help her friends out with the little things.

However, the one thing that was the tipping point of being friendly was the gradual filling of the kitchen cabinets.  
It hadn’t slipped past her that instead of takeout on weeknights she was being ushered across the hall to have dinner with Thranduil and Galion, courtesy of the later’s cooking skills. While it certainly beat the frito-taco concoctions or ramen noodles she had been resorting to making more often it was also richer than what she was used to. Yet she took it as a kind gesture and could only find compliments for the meals, even if she’d have to loosen her ties on her corsets if this kept up in frequency.

But there she stood in her kitchen, eyeing the kitchen cabinets with suspicion. Just a week before she could see the back wall in each of them clearly; now she was lucky to get them closed properly. Wennie wasn’t sure if she found this appreciative or insulting. On the one hand it was a kind thing to do for someone, but on the other hand it was basically telling her that she couldn’t take care of herself, and she had always been about self-sufficiency. While she didn’t know much about their place of work, she knew they must have been well-to-do based on the tips they left when they ate at Cogs and Coins. But still - a third thought kept creeping up that asked if these two men were putting themselves into debt with these gestures of kindness. It was unlikely, but her brain had a habit of over-analyzing any situation if left to fester.

Wennie shut the cabinets and groaned. She was a responsible adult, dammit! So maybe she couldn’t afford the best groceries right now; at least she was feeding herself!

“Knock knock!” came a cheerful voice as her apartment door opened. She didn’t bother to turn to see Galion and Thranduil enter her residence casually. “Tonight, dinner will be served here,” the brunette beamed at Wennie as he entered the kitchen.  
“Good, you can use up the groceries you put in my cabinet,” she said sarcastically. “Look, I really appreciate the thought, Galion, but I can get my own food. I don’t expect anyone else to do it.”

“But that’s what friends do!” he protested as Thranduil moved to sit at the small kitchen table.

“I guess, but-”

“It is what we do for our friends,” Thranduil stated firmly, motioning for her to join him at the table.

Wennie sighed. “You two sure know how to make a girl feel lousy, you know that?”

“How do you mean?” Thranduil asked.

“I mean this!” Wennie waved her arm at Galion moving around her kitchen. “Y’all come in here and take over my kitchen! Buying me groceries!” She sighed, slumping down in the chair. “You have to realize I’m used to doing on my own, and if I can’t get something, I do without until I can.”

“You have friends, child. Do not think you have to do everything yourself,” Galion chided.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, feeling like a scolded child, even though neither had raised their voice to admonish her. “But believe me I would do the same for you if I could!”

Thranduil nodded, reaching into his jacket pocket. “I know, Wennie.” He retrieved a small, flat device and slid it across the table to her. “I am in a bit of a predicament,” he said lightly. “I was in need of a new phone the other day and found myself in possession of more than I require. Since Galion has a new model, I can think of no other better that deserves than yourself.”

Wennie stared from Thranduil to the touch screen phone in front of her and back to him. “Are you trying to pawn a phone off on me? What’s going on, really?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that the phone you possess at the moment is rather outdated...”

“It charges, it takes calls and it makes calls. What’s outdated about that?”

“It has duct tape holding the battery cover closed!” Thranduil pointed out, making Galion chuckle. “You cannot expect it to last forever!”

“You’re right. I don’t,” Wennie told him. “But I would deal with that nightmare when I crossed the bridge.”

Thranduil’s hands went to cover his face as he groaned in misery, mumbling about how today’s youth was more stubborn than his wife. From the kitchen, Galion could be heard chuckling still as he prepared water to boil for the pasta. Wennie only pursed her lips and watched the blond man overreact.

“I don’t understand why you’re so concerned, Thranduil,” Wennie continued. “Believe me, I appreciate the sentiment and everything, but I’m an adult. I supposed to take care of these things myself-”

“Are you?” he asked sarcastically.

“Yes, I am!” she shot back. “I may not be working at a huge company but I would like to think that I’m doing pretty damned well considering!”

“I suppose if you can call putting yourself into an eternal debt of student loans on a waitressing salary ‘well’-”

“That is not your concern!”

“Of course it is my concern!”

“Why!? Why is this such a big deal to you?! Why is anything that I am doing or not doing so concerning to you, Thranduil?!”

The escalating argument at the table made Galion turn from his sauce preparation and observe the unfolding. There was no way he was going to step in the middle of it, obviously, because either side would end up angry with him. Thranduil would question his loyalty if he took her side, and Wennie would be suspicious. If he stood by his friend and king, she would likely turn on him as well, thinking him an invasive parental figure. Okay, that part had a smidge of truth to it. He had after all snuck in food to stock her cabinets while she was at school or work, and tonight he had purposefully taken over her kitchen to cook her a meal.

“It concerns me because you are my daughter!”

Galion winced visibly, and not because Thranduil had raised his voice to echo through the apartment. He had broken his own rule by outright telling the girl an important piece of information she had yet to discover for herself. Looking over at Wennie, he could see a number of emotions cross her face, but shock seemed to beat out the rest.

“What do you mean,” Wennie swallowed, trying to find her voice, by calling me your daughter?”

Thranduil, having realized his mistake moments before, had his elbows resting on the table edge with his face buried in his palms. “That was a miscalculation on my part.”

“I’ll say.”

“You misunderstand, Wennie.” He looked up at her again, and she could see how visibly tired he was. “When I called you ‘daughter’, I do not mean that you are blood kin to me. You might commonly recognize the term ‘daughter-in-law’.”

Wennie watched Thranduil to see if this was some kind of joke they had planned, and getting no response she turned to see Galion watching from the stove. “Is this...true, Galion?”

Galion didn’t confirm or deny the statement. “Perhaps it would be best for you to start from the beginning, old friend,” he told Thranduil instead. “Explain things before jumping to such a shocking piece of news.” Then he returned to his work, putting his back to them.

Looking back at Thranduil, Wennie leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I think the beginning would be best, if you don’t mind. I mean no disrespect to you, but I’m pretty sure I’m a virgin, so being told I’m married isn’t something you can just spring on me without warning.”

Then Thranduil smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, just one that recalled memories long past. “You always were one for details,” he said.

Thranduil knew that what he was about to say was going to get him into hot water with about half a dozen people. The question was not a matter of when it would happen, but who would get through the melee to get to him first. It was no matter; what was done was done, and perhaps it might even work in their favor.

“You have told us in the time that we have met that you do not know your birth parents, that you have no records of their lives or why they left you. Having known them for many years I can assure you that they would never have done such a thing if it had been their decision. Wennie, the reason you are unsure about so much of your past is that it is hidden away in your mind.”

“Okay, so far I’ve got that you know my parents, my abandonment was ‘unintentional’, and that I’m a forgetful yutz?”

“There was no abandonment,” he corrected her. “And yes I know them. Their names are Haldir and Morwen. You are not forgetful; rather, you have suffered a traumatic experience that has left you with amnesia.”

“If this Haldir and Morwen didn’t abandon me, how’d I end up at the orphanage? Was I kidnapped?”

“You might as well explain everything,” Galion called from the kitchen. “Otherwise it will make even less sense to her.”

“I thought he was?” Wennie asked him.

“You’re not human,” Thranduil blurted out tactlessly.

There were very few times that Galion wanted to smack his king, but this was one of those times.

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...” Wennie was looking at him weird now.

“You - We,” he gestured between the three of them, “Are of another race that is not seen in this world anymore.”

“We’re aliens.”

“No...yes...not exactly.” Thranduil pushed back his long hair to reveal the pointed tips of his ears to her. “We are of the Eldar, Wennie. We are elves. A race that has not inhabited this world for many millennia because our time had come to leave for our true homeland so that the race of Men could prosper.”

Wennie didn’t say anything, but she stood up from her seat to move closer to get a better look at Thranduil’s ears. They didn’t look like a latex build, and even good theater makeup would have been noticeable at this proximity. She had tentatively reached a hand up to feel for a prosthetic seam but stopped herself, feeling that it wasn’t a good idea. She couldn’t place why she felt this way, but it just didn’t seem...right. Or was proper the better word?

“Okay, so you don’t look like one of Santa’s elves. Does that mean you work for Keebler? Is that why you wouldn’t tell me much about your company?”

“I assure you we do not make cookies,” Thranduil replied. “Our company is built around a multitude of environmentally-friendly products.”

“No, he just likes to eat the cookies,” Galion responded lightly. “Between him and those kids it’s impossible to keep any cookies in the house!”

“Galion...”

“All I am saying is that you lot should be rolling down the stairs when you come to breakfast-”

“As I was saying,” Thranduil cleared his throat. Wennie had been giggling, which had lightened the atmosphere considerably, so he couldn’t fault his friend entirely. “Our homeland is an undiscovered island called Valinor. That is where this part of the story ultimately begins.”

“Hang on, ‘ultimately’? There’s more than this?”

“Yes, but for the time being, this part of the story is crucial to your understanding. We can cover the rest when you feel you are better equipped. Now then, in Valinor, you were living a happy life as the wife of my son. You both had a beautiful house of your own, and you were both wishing to start a family. However, there was an accident. A terrible storm had unsettled one of the newest horses to be trained, and having been a rebellious spirit proved to make this task difficult for the trainers. I was told that you were caring for some younglings that day, and to protect the lives of the youngest you interfered with the rogue horse’s path. You had attempted to ride the beast to calm it and get it back to its stable, but it bucked you off into a discarded pile of building stones.”

Wennie could only watch the blond man - correction, elf - with dread as his story continued.

“My son tracked you and brought you to the healers, but there was little they could do to ease your pain. You had been hemorrhaging from internal injuries that could not be cared for. Later that night you passed away in your sleep.”

“Oh god...” Wennie felt like she was going to be sick. “But how does that explain me being here? That sounds like a past life sort of thing.”

“In a way, it is.” Galion brought over a plate of garlic toast and set it at the center. “Wennie, for elves, we can only die in a limited number of ways. We can fall in battle, suffer from fatal battle-sustained injuries, or die from a broken heart. Our bodies are more resilient to injury than a mortal man’s, and even a fatal wound for him could be minimal to us. It is a matter of how severe the wounds and if the body has any strength left to repair the damage.”

Wennie’s head was starting to spin. This just didn’t make any sense. “Then how am I here? If I died then, how am I alive now?”  
“That would be the work of the Valar,” Galion cut in, choosing to stick with terms she could grasp. “Think of them as a higher power, if you will. The one that we know as Mandos, the keeper of the fallen, was the one to return your soul to an identical body.”

“So the body is human but my soul isn’t?”

Galion shook his head. “Your soul, or fëa, is indestructible. Had you chosen to remain in the Halls of Mandos for eternity, you would not be reborn.”

“My son nearly joined you from his grief,” Thranduil said solemnly. “For months I feared I would lose him as well, until your message arrived to us. You told him to wait for you, that you’d come back to him one day. Unfortunately...we had no idea that we would find ourselves in this current predicament.”

The young woman frowned. She had always been pretty open to the various religions of the world, but finding out her own soul wasn’t human really made her question her beliefs. Neither elf had given her a reason not to trust them, and while the more they said made sense, it was still a lot to take in. It seemed that Thranduil wasn’t finished just yet though.

“As soon as we learned that you would be reborn here, in a mortal body, preparations were made to sail back to these lands. We have been searching for hundreds of years to no avail, until the day we stopped in the restaurant.”

“You mean you knew you had found me?” she asked. “Why didn’t you just tell me then?”

“Would you have believed us?” the king replied.

Shaking her head, she responded with “No, I suppose not. But if I’m an elf, what does that mean for me? I mean I’m mortal, round ears and all.”

Galion was beginning to load down the table with more dinner utensils and things. “Not for long, my dear,” was all he said before he turned away.

“What does that mean?”

“Galion is referring to your coming of age,” Thranduil shot his friend a look. “The dreams you have mentioned to us, the ones that you could not explain? Those are fragments of your memories. We suspect that they will begin to become clearer in the months to come.”

“And what about the ears, then? Recalling what I once was is all well and good, but if I don’t look the part isn’t that going to be a problem?”

Neither one said anything, which only made Wennie nervous. “You have to understand, Wennie,” Galion spoke carefully, “This isn’t a typical occurrence for our kind. Reborn elves are usually reborn in Valinor in a natural birth. We do not know how Mandos came to acquire your mortal form, only that he could not find a suitable vessel in Valinor. Given the length of time it took to find your vessel, waiting for the usual opportunity could have made things worse. Do not think low of the Valar, Wennie, for their decisions are made only with the best interests in mind. We do not understand those reasons all the time, so we must trust their judgment.”

“We do believe that as your memory returns, so will the strength of your fëa,” Thranduil told her. “Only then will the vessel accommodate the soul to become a complete being once more. You will look just as you did in your first form.”

Wennie nodded, then asked out of the blue “What’s my name?”

“Pardon?”

“I doubt my original name was ‘Winifred’,” she told them. “What is my birth name?”

“Ithilwen,” Thranduil told her. “It is Ithilwen.”

“That sounds pretty,” she commented. “I like that.” She tried pronouncing it herself a couple times to make sure she got it right, smiling in satisfaction when the elf across from her confirmed her attempts. “Okay, so I know my real name, my parent’s names, and how I got to be ‘here’,” she counted off on her fingers. “I’m still lost on this whole marriage thing though.”

Thranduil chuckled. “Yes, I do believe that needs to be covered before the meal,” he said, reaching into his wallet to retrieve something squarish. Sliding it across the table to Wennie, he said, “This is my son, your husband.”

Wennie took the picture and flipped it over, words falling silent on her lips. The elf in the picture resembled Thranduil to an extent; long blond hair, dark brows and lashes making his already blue eyes impossibly bluer. His build was broad across the chest and shoulders, making it impossible to mistake him for a female at any angle. In short, she found him incredibly handsome.

“This is your son?” she whispered.

“It is,” Thranduil nodded. “His name is Legolas.” He declined when she tried to give him the picture back, telling her to keep it.

“That’s...that’s not possible,” Wennie began to shake her head furiously. “I can’t be married to...to...him! He’s way too handsome! Why on earth would he want to be married to someone like me?!”

Galion had been draining the pasta in the sink when she said this, and turned abruptly to share a disapproving look with Thranduil. It seemed that even as a mortal she still questioned the prince’s judgment about her person, so perhaps they wouldn’t have as long to wait on her recovery as it looked.

“I believe that was one of your more humorous arguments,” Thranduil told her. “It would always drive my son mad to know that you didn’t see yourself as he does. As it stands, you both are fëa-mates. No matter what you may think of yourself, in your heart you know that you couldn’t see yourself with another.”

“What is a fëa-mate?”

“It is a special bond between elves,” Galion told her from the kitchen. “Look at it as two halves of a whole; you compliment each other down to your very core. Some say that it is akin to ‘love at first sight’, but I believe that is not the case. Two elves could grow to know each other for many years before any romantic feelings are expressed. It is simply a matter of circumstance.” He moved the drained pasta to a serving bowl and poured the sauce next. “Elves are particular in choosing a mate, because once a couple has been physically intimate in the highest form, they are bound for eternity. The fëar will have formed a bond so strong that it is very rare for one to be broken.”

In the time that Galion had spent detailing the concept of fëa-mates to Wennie, Thranduil had retrieved the phone he had attempted to pawn off on her earlier. When Galion had reached the table, both were drawn to his silent maneuvering on the touch screen.

“What are you doing?” Wennie asked with suspicion.

“Programming my son’s phone number into your new contact list,” he replied without shame. Thranduil slid the phone back across the table to her, adding, “Now you have no excuse not to use that phone. Legolas knows that you have been found, and when you feel comfortable speaking to him, you can do so.”

“That was a dirty move, sir,” Galion chided.

“My thoughts exactly,” Wennie agreed.

“Why does no one question the Valar with their decisions, but they question mine?” Thranduil asked innocently. “I am doing this in the best interest for my son and daughter-in-law.”  
  
“You just conned me into taking your new smartphone!”  
  
“Alright children,” Galion sighed, “We can argue about this after dinner. Now eat up before the pasta gets cold and gluey.”  
Both Thranduil and Wennie sighed simultaneously as they began to eat. But before she even took the first mouthful, she shot a look at Galion. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about you, food ninja.”

* * *

Some time after the dinner leftovers had been packed away and the dishes cleaned did Galion navigate his lord back to their apartment, leaving behind a very confused young woman to mull over the night’s events. Normally he wasn’t one to be so brash with his superior, but these were extenuating circumstances that needed to be reported. Immediately.

Thranduil knew he was screwed. He knew it the moment he admitted to Wennie that she was his son’s mate. Now, hours later, he had to own up to his mistake and let a select few know. The rest would find out eventually.

Galion, having shut and locked the front door, moved to sit across from Thranduil on the couch. He scrolled through the contacts list and selected the number he was positive would answer right away. The signal rang twice before a gentle voice came on the other end.

“Hello Galion! It’s pretty late there, isn’t it?”

“Indeed it is, my Lady, and I apologize if I have woken you...but we have a...problem.”

“A problem?” the voice grew concerned. “Are you both alright?”

“We are fine, or I should say I am well. Your husband...may not be when we return home.” Galion tapped an icon on the screen before holding the phone out to his lord. “You’re on speakerphone, sir. Best get it over with.”

“Thranduil, what did you do?”

“Melleth, it is nothing terribly serious,” he tried telling Miraear. “We were having dinner with Ithilwen earlier this evening and somethings were said that might not have been said. The situation has been dealt with and things are fine.”

Galion looked at him skeptically. “Do you call a near-shrieking woman ‘fine’ with what you told her?”

“What. Did. You. Do.” Miraear’s voice demanded.

“I might...I might have told Ithilwen that she was our son’s mate-”

“YOU DID WHAT?!” she shrieked. “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!”

Galion was immensely grateful that the phone now rested on the coffee table as the former queen riped into her husband. The queen was known for her calm demeanor in almost every situation that was thrown at the kingdom, but it was also widely known not to push her past her limits. The king, knowing this even as he courted her, still seemed to find new ways of pissing her off.

“THRANDUIL I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT!” Miraear continued. Thranduil could barely get a sentence out as she kept going. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THIS COULD MEAN?!”

“Yes, I do, but-”

“NO BUTS ABOUT IT! WHAT IF SHE DOESN’T WANT TO SEE LEGOLAS? WHAT IF SHE CHOOSES TO NOT REMEMBER HER LIFE?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN? OUR SON WILL BE ON THE STRAIGHTWAY TO THE HALLS OF MANDOS!”

“BELIEVE ME I UNDERSTAND!” He bit out quickly while she stopped to take a breath. “Believe me I know, but I do not doubt the girl’s curiosity!”

Miraear could be heard sighing over the phone. It would have been early morning over there, and if the household wasn’t already up they’d be getting the wakeup call soon. Thranduil sat on the couch with his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Galion got up to pour him something to drink.

“Thranduil,” Miraear tried again, this time a little calmer. “I just don’t want to see our son in the shape he was in after her death. I can’t bear the thought of it.”

“I know, love,” he told her. “Please understand that I took care of everything.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her the truth. About her real parents, her real name. Galion and I briefly covered the life she lived in Valinor with Legolas. I told her of what happened, and what happened afterwards. She has some idea of what to expect, and I cannot help but feel that this could benefit the both of them.”

“It would do Legolas some good to hear from her,” she mused.

“That’s why I gave her his number.”

“You know I’ll have to tell him.”

“I know.”

“He’ll want to come over there all the more now.”

“Oh I definitely know,” Thranduil silently thanked Galion for the proffered drink. “There is no chance in hell of that happening, however. Ithilwen is still too far from where she needs to be for Legolas to appear on her doorstep.”

“We need time,” Miraear said.

He snorted, “Funny, that coming from an immortal.”

Miraear laughed lightly on the other end of the line. He knew that while things sounded alright between them now, he was pretty certain that his mate would have him sleeping in one of the guest rooms when they returned, whether Ithilwen was in tow or not. The king’s smile faded just as quickly as it came when he heard his son’s voice ask Miraear why she was so excited so early in the morning.

“Tell him,” Thranduil murmured into the phone as if he were whispering to Miraear.

There was silence between them, and in the apartment it felt like the conversation had been brought to an end, until Legolas spoke.

“W-what do you mean she knows?” Galion and Thranduil heard Legolas ask in disbelief. The king had expected some form of anger for his blunder, but not shock. “She...she knows...”

“She knows about you, but she doesn’t remember you yet,” Miraear could be heard telling him.

“Shit,” Legolas was heard saying. “Oh gods... Oh shit... Fuck-!”

“This was not the reaction I expected, sir.”

“Neither did I.” If Thranduil had to hazard a guess, he would think that Legolas was pacing the room as he swore. “Ion-nin, you need to calm down. I told her everything I could to prepare her for what’s to come.”

“Fuck. Shit. Fu-”

“Come now son your vocabulary is larger than this.”

Miraear got back on the phone as Legolas continued to swear. “If you could see him right now you wouldn’t believe he does, Thranduil. He wasn’t expecting this.”

“Well then Legolas, you had best prepare yourself in the event Ithilwen calls-”

“Calls?! What do you mean, calls?! Is she-? Here? C-call...me?” If Legolas was honest with himself, this was something that he had yearned for for centuries. But now that the opportunity could present itself at a moment’s notice, it scared the ever-living shit out of him.

Miraear could be heard trying to calm their son down, who sounded on the verge of a full-blown panic. “Yes, there is a good chance Ithilwen will want to speak with you,” she soothed. “But you need to relax so that you can carry on a conversation with more than swears.”

“I gave her your personal cell,” Thranduil explained. “Right now it is the news of you that has her curiosity piqued. I thought it best that she speak to you first.”

“Haldir and Morwen need to know,” Legolas said.

“And they will,” Thranduil assured him. “As soon as I hang up with you, I will call them and let them know. We’ll decide where to go from there.”

“Okay,” Legolas said weakly, then with more control. “Okay. Thank you, Adar.”

“I do my best, ion.”

* * *

All night Wennie had been trying to distract herself from the things that she had learned from Thranduil and Galion, but it was proving unsuccessful. Even the horror gameplay videos from Pewdiepie and his “mannish” screams weren’t cutting it.

She wasn’t human.

She was an elf.

She had parents.

Parents who were looking for her.

She had a home very, very, very far away that she had never heard of in Geography.

She had memories of a life before this that she couldn’t recall.

She was married.

That one was the kicker in the whole list of things to freak out about. Wennie had been going through the motions of daily life for weeks trying to figure out what was missing, watching couples be lovey-dovey in public and wishing for something like that, only to find out she’d already married someone!

This story blew any drunken impromptu Las Vegas marriages by Elvis out of the water, that was for sure.

Wennie glanced over at the picture sitting beside her laptop, only to lock eyes with the two-dimensional man. Elf. Male. Whatever or whoever he was, she assumed he had a penis if they had wanted to start a family together.

Then she found herself blushing without warning, but she couldn’t understand why. She had never met this person in person, so it’s not like she knew them. But then she apparently did in fact know him, and probably more fluently than she realized at first. That direction of thinking only made her blush harder.

“Oh fucking hell,” she mumbled, shutting the laptop and taking it and the picture with her to her room.

Wennie set the laptop down in her bag to be ready to go when she left for class, then propped the picture up against the alarm clock on her nightstand. As she moved around her room on autopilot she contemplated finding a frame for it on her next trip to the store. One that size shouldn’t cost much, and it would ease her mind about it getting blown off the surface accidentally.

She unbuttoned her worn-down jeans and pushed them off her hips, kicking them onto the nearby chair before shirking her top. Dinner had been far more filling than she expected, and she attributed that fullness to Galions’ cooking talents, so the bra was shed soon after. Now standing in her bedroom in only a pair of boxer-brief panties, Wennie stared down at herself, trying to see what this husband of hers might.

“I’ve got nothing,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. Looking over her shoulder at the picture she mumbled “You’d probably sweet-talk me if I asked you, wouldn’t you?”. Wennie knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t bring herself to develop the self-esteem most girls her age had. She knew she wasn’t ugly or anything, but she just didn’t find any appeal in what she had. Her body shape was naturally curvy, a striking difference to her foster mother, who was built fragile in comparison. Her hips were just slightly wider than her breasts, and while she heard that some guys liked that in a girl, she cursed silently whenever she had to go clothes shopping. San Francisco wasn’t an area built to accommodate natural curves, or at least her neighborhood wasn’t.

Still, as she moved around the room to find a clean nightshirt, she continued to talk to Legolas’ photo as if he were actually there. It was ridiculous, but she was reasoning with herself that she was building up her courage for when she called. The question was when should she call. If she called that night it might come off wrong, but if she waited then Thranduil would be on her case about when she did plan to call his son.

Did Legolas even know that she knew? Wennie chewed her lip, now having one more thing to stress over. If he didn’t know, would he still want to talk to her, knowing she didn’t remember him? But if he did know already...then he’d be waiting for her to call.

“You know what? Fuck it! I’m gonna call!” she declared to the empty room, pulling on the tank top and crawling onto the bed. Wennie grabbed the phone and photo after she made herself comfortable, experimenting with the new touch screen to find the contacts list. Looking down at the picture of Legolas in her hand, she took a deep breath. “You’d best not hang up on me, pal,” she murmured as she dialed.

Why was her heart thumping so hard? She never had a problem talking on the phone before, but this time it seemed like she was about to give a speech before the world in naught but her underwear. She wasn’t sure it was a feeling that she liked, becoming startled when the ringing stopped and a male voice carried across the line.

“Hello?”

“Uh...” Okay, this was that moment that her foster mom taught her that it was etiquette to begin with a ‘Hello’, but it was as if her entire vocabulary had gone through a shredder. Swallowing, she tried again. “H-hello. Am I speaking to...to...Legolas?”

The voice on the other end of the phone went silent, and she feared they had hung up. It was when the voice spoke with such uncertainty that Wennie felt her heart go out to him. “Ithilwen?” It was like the air had been knocked out of him. “Is that you?”

“Uh...well...according to Thranduil I am,” she said nervously. “My legal name is Winifred, but everyone calls me Wennie.”

There was a soft sigh of contentment. “It is you, then.” The voice of Legolas sounded truly happy then, and a small part of Wennie was glad that she had decided to call. “I have longed to hear your voice so much that I feared that I had succumbed to insanity.”

“Hey now you haven’t met me face-to-face. You can’t go saying I’ve driven you insane until we’ve met!” she found herself laughing. It probably wasn’t the best time to laugh, but she almost always found herself laughing when she was anxious about something.

“But you have,” Legolas told her honestly. “For a long time you have driven me mad. In a good way though, I assure you.”

Something about the way Legolas said that and chuckled made Wennie blush. Or maybe it was because she had a dirty mind, but either way, it seemed that the awkward first words were past them. “Thranduil told me some things,” she began, stretching out her legs. “He said that you’ve been searching for a long time. I...I’m sorry.”

“Why do you apologize, Ithilwen?”

She shrugged. “Guilt? You’ve been turning the world on it’s proverbial side according to your dad looking for me and I’ve been oblivious this entire time.”

Legolas sighed. “You should not feel guilt for something out of your control,” he said. “I knew that one day I would get news of your appearance, and that has what has kept me in check for so long. We should look forward to what comes in the future, now that we have found each other once more.”

Wennie visibly winced. “Yeah, about that...” she began. “...you may be the only one that knows anything...”

“You have not recovered any memories?” The question was just that, a question. There was no judgmental tone accompanying it, and Wennie wondered how he couldn’t be upset.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again. “I’ve been getting some weird dreams lately though that your dad says are glimpses.”

“There you go apologizing for something out of your control again. Any progress is good progress, Ithilwen. I don’t expect everything to come back at once.”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“About what?”

“About my lack of memory!” Wennie began to gesture widely to her empty room as if he were standing there before her. “I know squat about my own husband and he’s acting like I told him the week’s forecast! Aren’t you upset?!”

“It hurts,” he said slowly, “I won’t lie, but you just speaking to me is more than I could have asked for right now.”

“How come?” she asked curiously.

“Because of what you just said,” Legolas pointed out. “We are married. I was afraid that my father had scared you with this information, and you wouldn’t want to speak to me.”

Wennie pulled her knees up to her chest to rest her elbows on. “I’m not gonna lie, the idea freaks me out,” she told him. “I mean as far as I know I’m still a virgin, though I guess that’s born-again virgin...”

She heard Legolas chuckling, and the sound made her stomach do a little flip. “Not for long,” he teased. When she made a strangled noise, he added, “That was too soon. I’m sorry Ithilwen.”

“Oh yeah you sound sorry,” she smiled a little, almost seeing a wide grin on his face. “If what your dad said was right, you’ve been doing without for a looong time now.”

“I did not offend you?”

“Nah,” she said. “My coworkers have told dirtier jokes.”

“I imagine I could best them,” Legolas said casually. “But as you were saying; this information doesn’t scare you into ever meeting me...does it?”

She shrugged again. “I highly doubt that,” she told him. “I would like to meet you, but I was hoping I’d remember you before that time came. Not knowing you as I’m meeting you sounds terrible, all things considered.”

“It is understandable, Ithilwen,” Legolas spoke. “For the time being I will just be satisfied speaking with you like this. When your memories come back, however, I may not be able to stay away any longer. I have missed you terribly, Ithilwen.”

“I can tell,” she said softly. The way he spoke to her just exuded loneliness of a missing lover, and she wished she had some recollection of him so she could say she missed him as well. “But...where does that leave us now?” This was something she was unsure about, with their circumstances, and she wanted to have some idea of what to expect from Legolas in the near future.

“I’m not sure. I have waited for this moment for so long that all of my plans have vanished on me,” he chuckled again. “I do know this; do not try to force yourself to remember anything on my account, Ithilwen. Your memories will return in time, and in the meantime I will work to watch you fall in love with me all over again.”

Another stomach flip aside, Wennie had to admit that that deal didn’t sound too bad. Sleep be damned, she told herself. She wanted to stay up a little longer and talk to the husband she couldn’t remember.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At what point do you question your decisions in life when you encounter a higher power who sounds suspiciously like Michael Clark Duncan?

Wennie had only spoken to Legolas two more times over the past week since the first call.

It wasn't that she was trying to avoid him by any means. It had more to do with the sudden flux in her schedule that attributed to the lack of contact. The semester was just getting into the swing of things, and already she was having to write papers for two of her classes before the end of the month. The fall break would be some relief, but that wouldn't be until October, and even then she still had work.

That was another thing that had eaten up her time. Julia, one of the older waitresses, had been rushed to the hospital after taking a fall at her house, breaking her ankle and fracturing a part of her leg on impact. She was going to be unable to work for an indefinite amount of time, which meant that her hours were up for grabs. Since she was the only one with no commitments to children or had children on the way, Wennie ultimately had the extra hours dumped on top of her already bulging schedule.

She couldn't complain though. The apartment owner had decided to raise the rent to compensate for losing money in another endeavor, and despite the hike not being that outrageous, her wallet disagreed. This came after she had gotten notices about new fees associated with her other utilities, naturally. Then one of her work uniforms had suffered some damage from extensive wear, which called for her having to take it to a seamstress to replace the threadbare fabric with a whole new palette. Her laptop was declining in speed, and she was fearing that its drivers were about to give out. If she hadn't needed either for work or school, she'd have foregone paying for anything else but food and bills until she could get her head out of the water.

With all of these things to stress over, the moments of relief the had came from Legolas, surprisingly. He, the biggest anticipated stressor, had managed to make her laugh when she wanted to just sit and cry for hours. What's more, he never sounded upset that she didn't recall any of the moments he talked about between them. She knew he was upset - how could one not be - but he seemed so positive that one day she would remember everything.

It was Thursday night when Wennie collapsed into bed, just kicking off her boots and top. She was too tired to fuss with the pants or any remaining makeup, knowing how frightening she'd be in the morning but she could have cared less. Thranduil had invited her over for a late dinner, as per habit when she worked late at night, and as their recent tradition went, grilled her on her talks with his son. Maybe he was just being helpful or concerned, but sometimes Wennie wondered if he just wasn't nosy. He seemed to take it harder than his son did on the nights when she didn't have time to talk to him.

Two days prior she surmised the reason why he was so nosy, and that was grandchildren. He wanted grandchildren, just like any other parent. She couldn't fault him on that, but dammit she still couldn't remember her own husband!

Wennie rolled over on her back, wincing as her body weight had crushed her breasts into the mattress. As tired as she was she kept thinking about it and how much Thranduil was jumping the gun on the whole thing. It was like he was trying to jump-start the neurons in her brain. Or something. She didn't know and she didn't care.

Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were of pushy parents and flat-chested women being the lucky ones.

* * *

Wennie knew she was dreaming to two simple reasons. One, she was standing in a large open space that resembled a mix between ancient Greek and Celtic halls. Two, she was standing in a large open space that resembled a mix between ancient Greek and Celtic halls bare-ass naked.

She barely mumbled "What the fuck" as her feet registered the coolness of the marbled floor beneath them, making her curious enough to explore her surroundings. Thankfully she didn't see any pointed objects anywhere.

The more she looked around, the more she realized that pretty much every surface of this grand hall was built of this polished marble-like material. Hanging torches built from dark iron hung high on the pillars, casting the room in a yellow-orangish glow, and yet there were still areas the light did not reach. When she approached these shadowed areas, Wennie could see very large and elaborate tapestries hung along the walls. They were expertly crafted; clearly someone had practice with needlework that she would likely never achieve. As she walked down one direction, the tapestries appeared to tell a story, but of what she couldn't be sure. To Wennie, it looked like lost history that had fallen in the cracks of biased interpretations and time.

"I had begun to wonder when you would find your way, Child."

Wennie nearly jumped out of her skin at the booming voice that suddenly appeared as it echoed off the walls. Fearing she was in a place she shouldn't have been, she dove behind the closest pillar as the voice spoke again.

"It would be easier to speak with you if you would show yourself, Child." The voice paused. "You have nothing to fear. Come out from behind that pillar."

"E-easy for you to say," Wennie stammered, pushing her hair over her breasts before she revealed herself. Not that she hadn't revealed _all_ of herself, but logic in dreams had a weird way of functioning. "A-and why d-do you keep calling me 'Child'?"

"I call everyone that enters these halls Child," the voice spoke again. "I am older than these halls. It would take an effort to find something in this room that is older than me."

Wennie clasped her hands before her as she stepped away from the cover of her pillar, in a poor attempt to cover her nether region. She followed the sound of the voice as she walked, slowly so her hair wouldn't move too much, coming to stand in the middle of the room. Towards the end, where she noticed a very large stone seat draped with dark fabrics stood a hulking size of a being. He appeared human-esque, but the dark robes that adorned his body did little to give her any other physical characteristics, save for silver-white eyes that seemed to glow against the darkness around them.

Staring open-mouthed at the figure at the head of the halls, she spoke without thinking. "I was going to call you the Grim Reaper by your clothes, but since you say you're older than everything...does that make you God?"

The deeply-voiced male seemed to sigh. "Having dealt with you before, Child, I should have expected such an asinine question."

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

He sighed again. "Only in a sense of speaking, Child. I am not 'God', as the mortals around you would assume, nor am I the 'Grim Reaper'. I am Námo, more commonly referred to as Mandos, the Harbringer of Fate. We are in my halls."

"So you're Satan."

"Child, I am what the mortal-created being of hellfire strives to be," Mandos rumbled. "Do not confuse me with the mythological monstrosities the mortals have concocted to satisfy their desire for the afterlife."

As he started to walk slowly around the room, Wennie felt herself shrink back. This guy was enormous, and just his presence in a room managed to suck the air out; it was worse when he moved. "S-sorry," she mumbled.

"You are forgiven," Mandos waved his hand dismissively in the air. "I did not expect you to know anything of my existence yet."

"...Yet?" Wennie turned on the spot as she watched him walk in a wide circle around her. She almost felt like prey being stalked, but she was pretty sure it would only be for sport if he took a notion. "Are you saying that you know about my..." she paused and gaped as the realization hit her, "You're the guy Thranduil told me about! You're the one that brought me back from the dead!"

Mandos stopped in his slow paces and studied her. Wennie felt like she was being scrutinized and instinctively went to cover herself again. "You are not the first to appear in my halls in the skin you were borne, Child, and you will not be the last," he told her as she fought to flatten her hair. "And you are correct, to a degree. Your former physical form may have passed from the world, but your fëa never ceased to exist."

"Sorry, but associating this with reincarnation is the only way I've been able to make sense of everything."

"Again you apologize for what you do not know," Mandos stated. "Is this something all mortals do now?"

Wennie shrugged, having given up on avoiding the reoccurring nip-slips. "It's a habit I'm trying to break."

"Good," he said. "You never apologized as frequently when you were still of the Eldar."

"How do you know that?"

"Child, I know everything." Mandos began his steady pace again. "I know everything about everyone in existence, and I will never forget anything. I distinctly recall how talkative you were when you resided here for a time. It is part of my duty to judge the fates of those that grace these halls."

"Personally I thought the Egyptians had it easiest, balancing the heart of the deceased against that of the feather and all that..." Wennie's rambling came to a halt quickly when Mandos focused his attention once more on her. "Um...why am I here, exactly? Is this some kind of probation meeting, or am I a canceled order?"

Mandos continued to stare, which only made Wennie more nervous. Given his manner of speech, decorum, and mannerisms, this didn't look like the kind of being that would understand modern snark. Not that she was intentionally trying to be snarky, of course; it just came out that way when she was really anxious.

"Child, I have a reason for everything that I do," he said slowly. "I watch over those I re-embody to look for inconsistencies with their development. It is only on very rare occasions that I will reach out to a Reborn to seek an audience with them."

"Is this because I'm not an elf?"

"You are correct."

"But according to Thranduil, I'm going to be," she continued. "...I am, aren't I?"

Instead of answering outright, Mandos asked her a question instead. "Is once-again achieving your place among the Eldar your wish?"

"Well, yeah! I mean - I've been told I have so many memories that I don't know about that I want to remember... I have a whole other life that I never knew about! I have a family! I have... I have...a husband..." She may have faltered when she acknowledged that last part, but who could blame her?

Mandos stopped once again in his walk around Wennie, this time standing directly before her. "You did not hesitate in your answer."

"It's not to sound ungrateful for everything my foster mom did for me," she added. "It's just that I've never felt like it was _my_ life. Mom always told me that if I wasn't happy with what I was doing, that I need to change it. That's easy when it's a job or a college major, but an entire lifetime? That's not something I'd ever believe possible until now."

"You have the choice, Child," Mandos said. "You can continue to fight the emergence of your former life and maintain the path you are on, or you can embrace the trials that will come with your memories and return to your heart's desire."

Oddly the mention of that last bit made Wennie's thoughts turn to Legolas. While she still didn't feel any of the emotions she knew she should have felt for her husband, the Valar's words were too on point to ignore. "Hang on... What do you mean by 'trials'? This isn't going to be like the twelve challenges of Hercules or anything, right? I don't know about your confidence in me, but I for one know I couldn't take on a giant boar or a lion."

Mandos sighed again, idly wondering if his wife was somewhere keeping count. She seemed to have gotten great enjoyment out of the little elleth's endless questions during her stint in his halls. "I refer to events yet to come, Child."

"I don't suppose I could get a syllabus, could I?"

Another hard stare basically told Wennie just how done Mandos was with her odd humor. "There will be moments where you will find yourself further set apart from the mortals of Arda," he told her. "You will feel isolated and may even cast doubt upon your decisions. The mortals are not equipped to comprehend the long-lasting life of the Eldar, and this is a fact you must make peace with now. In order for you to return to your former life, you must learn to let go of your current one. You will never be alone, Child, no matter how dark you believe the world has become."

Wennie didn't have words to respond to that advice, so she simply nodded her head in understanding. Of course she didn't entirely understand everything Mandos had just told her, but according to him she would in time. "I take it that this will be the only time I see you," she said instead.

"It is," Mandos nodded. "The implications of this arrangement are far more complicated than you will ever know. However, it would have been dangerous to approach you, regardless of how simpler the process."

"I don't understand."

"The current society of mortals have incited wars under the guises of their allegiances to higher powers, surely you have witnessed this. They are ill-equipped to handle the physical truth of an afterlife that does not exist within their terms. The Valar do not intervene in the lives of Men unless it is of utmost urgency. We have seen far too much blood spilled from hate and greed to wish to produce more conflict."

That made sense, Wennie thought silently. "But what about the other 'higher powers'? Do they exist, or are the mortals set up for disappointment?"

Mandos stepped closer to Wennie, and she had to will herself to not take a step back. If he had intended to maim her, he would have done so already when she called him the Devil. When he spoke next, it wasn't with a tone of authority or snideness. The rumbling voice that filled the room was filled with warmth as he said, "Of all the souls I have procured in these halls, you are one of the few that has ever been so inquisitive, Child. Before you had heard of me, you did not believe in my existence. There is nothing to say otherwise for anyone else. I can neither confirm nor deny other spiritual beings. The only words I can say on the matter are that there are no wrong answers, only those that feel inclined to deny another's beliefs."

Wennie found she rather liked that answer, and it was logical too. No one knew for certain what they were getting into before death, and they wouldn't know until they were dead. "So what does that make you, then?" she asked. "If you don't call yourself a god, I mean."

"We are but a number of watchers of Creation borne from Eru Ilúvatar's thoughts," he told her. "He is our Creator, and we revere him as the highest power in existence." Then Mandos paused, as if considering how best to describe it to her. "We do not share the semblance of the images your mind could conjur, but I believe the term 'angel' would suffice your query."

Silence followed, and she wondered if there was anything more to be said. Getting nothing from the being before her, Wennie had just one more question, and it seemed Mandos could sense it, for he straightened even further. "Is there anything you can tell me about what I can expect in the near future? You said I would experience trials, but you never said what exactly."

"You have already been told that your physical form will begin to assimilate to accommodate your fëa properly. You have already begun to experience the reemergence of your memories. These will be the trials that you will encounter; how you handle them and how you keep your identity under guise from the mortals is based on your decision. The only advice I can bestow upon you is to use vigilance as your form changes. I have been observing the mortals and have noticed that the majority do not take well to things that they do not understand. Given the circumstances, this could be dangerous to your person."

"Yeah, I'd rather not be a science cadaver for a biology lesson."

The area was becoming darker than it was originally, and Wennie knew that she was losing her connection to Mandos. In fact, the last thing she saw was his stern look as he told her "Take care not to, for it was far too difficult to find you a replacement vessel the first time, Ithilwen." odd, how he would choose to address her by her name right when she was about to wake up...

* * *

Wennie woke with a start and rubbed her eyes, realizing that she had broken out into a sweat in the middle of the night. She kicked the covers off her body, letting the cooler air in the room leave a path of goosebumps across her exposed skin.

Was it a dream? Had she really met one of the Valar that Galion had told her about?

It all seemed too bizarre to be real. She could still vividly recall the marble pillars that carried the torches, the tapestries that made no sense to her, and the deep voice that shook her to the bone. Looking down she realized that she was still clothed in her work uniform, which might have had something to do with the feverish temperature of the bed. Not even bothering to sit up, she wiggled and lifted her hips off the bed in an attempt to shirk the pants off before reaching for her discarded blankets with her toes to recover herself.

Turning over on her side, Wennie saw that she still had a few hours before she had to get up for class. Beside the clock sat the now-framed picture of Legolas. She may have hesitated in admitting she was a wife to Mandos, but Wennie knew that her current life was getting her nowhere but further in debt. As crazy as it was, she still found herself smiling as she drifted back to sleep, thinking that the one person she should have been antsy around actually made her feel more alive.         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen differing things about elven rebirths and whether they were frequent or not. I'd like to believe - and this is my theory - that the soul of the fallen elf sits in the Halls of Mandos until such a time as required for their rebirth based on his judgment. If you really screwed up in life, Mandos would keep you even longer. I don't believe that the soul stops aging, though. And with our resident problem-child Ithilwen, having been put in a mortal vessel is going to complicate things with her soul. The physical form, if you wanted a number, might be late 20s to mid 30s, but her soul is still aging.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't do the thing." "Too late, I already did the thing."

"Are you serious, guys? Really?" Terry looked around exasperated at his soon-to-be-former staff as the notes of 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' began. "You had to pick Greenday of all things."

"Would you have rather had 'Good Riddance' play when you came in?" Gene grinned from behind the bar. "Olivia suggested it, but I told her it sounded a bit harsh-"

"I did not you ass!"

"We could always have played Nickelback," Julia suggested. She was perched in her wheelchair, still exempt from working but she refused to miss her boss' farewell party.

Terry's face contorted into something of horror. "Oh gods no!" he said dramatically, "Anything but that!"

Laughter filled the room with that remark, but while the noise was joyous and uplifting, the entire atmosphere of the restaurant was melancholy. The current staff that had worked there were all hired by Terry, and it had become a second family to many of them. The idea of someone new coming in was not a welcomed one, but one's personal situations came first. And so it was that after hours, Terry walked into a darkened restaurant, only to be greeted in surprise by his entire workstaff with balloons, music, and enough cake to choke a horse. The large sheetcake was made at the local grocery store bakery, fashioned with bronze-like sugar gears and icing. Across its top was written 'We'll miss you Terry!' in piped icing by someone with a very steady hand.

Wennie sat at the bar just out of the social sphere, observing. She had been mulling over what all her previous dream, or rather, what Mandos had told her. Facing 'trials' sounded more stressful than a final exam in Calculus, but she knew deep down that he was right. She'd have to face the facts and learn to distance herself from those she had become so familiar with, and that hurt. Wennie didn't want to just break all connections though; if she had it her way she'd slowly drift apart from the rest of the group.

However, it would not be this night. Terry leaving was bad enough. Next to Bernard, he was her second "good friend" she had made since her foster-mother's passing. She reached for her whiskey and coke and wrinkled her nose. Either Gene had added more whiskey when she wasn't looking or her sense of smell had gotten better. Taking a sip, the amber liquid burned her throat, and she tried not to cough. She didn't really want anything to drink, even if Bernard would be picking her up after his night class. Looking out at the middle of the room, she could see some of the younger women trying to teach Terry one of the new dances. Wennie snorted to herself. This man was far older than she was, if only the gray streaks in his hair showed it. She took another sip of her drink, this time a larger one. If they were going to teach their 50-something year old boss how to twerk she'd need to be buzzed to keep the image from becoming permanently ingrained in her memory.

Wennie found herself frowning then, realizing that more than just her throat was uncomfortable. Since when did a whiskey and coke make her ears burn?

* * *

Two days later, Wennie was pretty sure that it wasn't Gene's whiskey and coke concoction that had made her ears burn.

In fact, that slight burning had progressed to itching, and now it had turned into a full-on throbbing ache. First she had to remove the piercings, where the itching had begun around the formed holes. She thought it had been the earrings themselves, but they were pristine and hypo-allergenic. When the aching began, she was dismayed to have to remove the ear cuffs as well, as the pain had begun to creep up the outer rims of her ears. If that were not bad enough, the soreness had become so bad that Wennie could barely stand to wear her glasses when she needed them. Sleeping on either side wasn't even an option.

Come to think of it, hadn't Thranduil said something about her body changing? Was this part of that weird elven-recovery-puberty phase? She really hoped her former body wasn't any bigger than a 36D, or she'd have a big problem on her hands.

'Make that _two_ problems,' Wennie thought as she moved about the empty tables in Cogs and Coins. If she could have withstood the uniform, she could have easily gotten a job as a waitress at Hooters just on looks alone.

Everyone expected the new manager to come in the following day after Terry left, so it came as a surprise to many when the founder, Vick, unlocked the front doors for them. The new guy was held up in New York apparently, and Vick had decided to fill the space as a silent observer to better bring the newcomer up to speed.

That was all well and good for the new guy, but everyone else felt like they were being scrutinized by the owner for every movement. Vick was a very nice guy, but to them, he had the authority of a school principal that decided to sit on on a class with students who liked to tell dirty jokes. They didn't know how long he'd be around, so they were on constant good behavior, lest they give him the wrong impression.

'Act like a mortal...Wasn't that something Mandos said?' Wennie thought, checking the shakers on her current table. 'How the hell am I supposed to act human when all I want to do is scratch my ears like a cat?!' Satisfied with their content, she set them back and moved to the next table. As she was straightening again, she couldn't help but notice the minuscule cobwebs in the uppermost corner of the ceiling - all the way on the other side of the restaurant.

Oh yeah. She'd definitely be paying a visit to Thranduil and Galion after work.

* * *

"Why will you not give one of these a chance, Erestor?"

"Why will you not listen to reason, Galion?"

The brunette couldn't contain the sigh of aggravation at his friend. The laptop sat perched on some empty counter space in the kitchen, where he was presently mixing spices into the raw ground beef for a meatloaf. He had found an interesting cajun-flavor of the classic meal and was eager to try it.

Erestor, however, was not.

In the webcam window on Galions' laptop featured another kitchen, all the way in Europe, with a frowning scholar. "There is nothing to turn one's nose up at with a classic meal," he continued.

"And variety is the spice of life, mellon," Galion said. "Honestly is the lovemaking between you and Lindir that bland? Do you carry this disposition over to the bedroom?"

Onscreen, Erestor was wishing he could get use the internet connection as a teleportation device. "What my mate and I do in the bedroom is none of your concern-"

"I'm only looking out for my friends!" Galion interjected innocently.

Erestor growled something unintelligible before saying, "I hope your meatloaf burns."

Galion grinned, nonplussed by his friend's weak insult. "That will only add to its cajun flavor." He plunked the ball of ground meat around in the bowl to make sure he had picked up all of the seasonings. "You should try some of the recipes I've picked up. I'll email them to you when I get this in the oven. Who knows, you might like one of them!"

"I doubt that."

"Don't be like that," Galion began. "Lindir! Back me up on this!"

Erestor turned to see his mate approach his side. Lindir looked to Erestor, then to the laptop where he assumed Galion was watching. "You know as well as I do two things. One, that my mate is a finicky eater when it comes to new things. Two, I don't choose sides in your arguments."

Galion appeared deflated. "Sounds to me like you did."

"I did not. I simply know which side my bread is buttered on."

"Well if it's your buns it's the back!" Galion was glad he was in California, for Erestor's face had turned a furious shade of purple with that dirty comment.

Erestor looked fit to kill and was about to shout expletives at is friend's ill sense of humor when the sounds of children squealing and laughing entered the kitchen. As he removed himself from the room, lest he teach the younglings a new swear word, Lindir remained behind to watch as five children came into view.

The twin boys looked the spitting image of their father Elrohir, yet the daughter's hair was more of an auburn, though she had her mother's eyes. Their cousin sported blond hair like her mother, but she had Elladan's mischievous smile. The last little elleth to run though had golden blond hair like her father and her mother's incredibly light-colored eyes.

Not far behind them came the current head of the company Greenwood Ltd. Legolas scooped up his niece and laughed as she protested. "That's not fair, Uncle! My brothers can run faster than me!"

"They are older, penneth," He grinned, balancing her on his hip as he turned to Lindir. "Wasn't Erestor just here?"

"He removed himself so as not to corrupt the youth of our people," Lindir said.

"Was Uncle Erestor about to say a bad word?" The golden-haired elleth asked.

"Oh yes," Galion nodded sagely from the laptop screen.

Lindir turned to face him. "Only because you started it."

"I did not!"

"You did- I'm not getting into this..."

Legolas focused his attention on the computer screen, not noticing that the auburn elleth in his arms had begun to squirm. "Galion, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, my prince."

"A package should be arriving to you shortly - I overnighted it FedEX. Could you give it to Ithilwen for me?"

Galion nodded. "I will be on the watch, sir." He saw Legolas nod in thanks before his niece jumped to the ground and sped off, starting the chase again. Lindir watched them all leave before he turned back to the laptop. "He hasn't been making plans to fly over here, has he?"

"He's talked about it," Lindir replied. "Why do you think the younglings are not with their parents?"

The brunette sighed. "Ithilwen needs to recover her memories soon, then. I don't think even the children will be able to keep him occupied for much longer..."

* * *

The new head of Cogs and Coins didn't make his debut until the end of the first week in October, and it was such a...grand entrance...that Wennie was thankful for her last shift to end. She wouldn't have to work again until Monday, as one of the girls she had been standing in for decided to return the favor. That scale would never be balanced, but Wennie didn't care as she pushed her bike out of the side door. She was just glad to get away.

The new manager's name was Rick, and by the end of the day, Gene had secretly crowned the new guy with the name "Rick the Dick". Which he was, basically.

Rick had dark dirty-brown hair that was cut short, but everyone could see that it naturally curled. He was lightly tanned and had some light stubble. In truth everyone expected different; a fitted suit and tie ensemble instead of getting a backwoods contractor from Hickory, North Carolina. When he opened his mouth to introduce himself, the accent wasn't there, and neither were the Nascar mannerisms. His vocabulary was very broad, which made many around the place wonder if they hadn't jumped to conclusions.

Wennie jostled as the bike's tires left the edge of one curb and soon met the next. 'Oh yeah, we jumped to conclusions alright,' she thought bitterly. 'I can't think of one person that would rather have the laid-back Southerner over...whatever the hell this guy is.'

By the end of the day, Rick had managed as the new manager to piss off pretty much every employee in the building.

Wennie never put much stock in stereotypes, but wherever Rick was really from, she hoped his hometown wasn't as rude as he was. Where Terry was kind and patient on busy days, Rick was demanding and impatient. Terry would have the decency to wait until the employee he was asking for had finished their rounds - no sense in upsetting hungry customers and ultimately losing their business. With Rick, what he wanted came first. Rick didn't believe in the customers being right. He outright argued an order with a customer during the lunch hour rush, and if it hadn't been for his coworkers apologizing behind his back, they'd have lost a regular customer.

Along with introductions and listing the day's specials, apologizing for the new management had quickly become a habit. Whether it was to the customers from the staff or from the customers to the staff was the question.

Rick had not only gotten into an argument with a regular customer, he had also belittled the competency of the wait-staff hours later, Wennie being one of them. His opinion of women was very low, believing that they should be better suited to the kitchens if they were not "appropriate" to serve.

'That just means he wants us to be model-ready,' she thought, squeezing the brake handle of the bike as she arrived at the apartment building. Hefting the bike on her shoulder, she wedged herself in the door and began the long trek upstairs. He had already criticized her choice of uniform, feeling it wasn't feminine enough for her position, ignoring the practicality altogether. She had a feeling that he didn't see large curves as the epitome of "model-readiness", and that only added to her list of worries.

She hated leaving work when she did, feeling guilty that she enjoyed being away from her second-home so much while her coworkers still had to deal with Rick. Wennie knew what the others were thinking - why did Terry have to go? The thought of never being able to work for Terry again upset everyone, just as the thought of having to return to Rick the Dick on Monday was enough to make her ill.

'If I had any way of getting another job, I'd probably leave,' Wennie mused as she turned onto the next landing. 'The economy's just too bad around here to do that, even if I wasn't drowning in debt. It'd be a long, drawn-out suicide if I quit...'

* * *

After a long-awaited shower, Wennie sat down on her couch in a fresh pair of pajamas with towel-dried hair. She stared with disdain at her laptop, knowing that she needed to get it over with.

In an attempt to lessen the building interest on her growing student loans, Wennie had forced herself to make at least the required minimum payment each month. It would build up her credit history in the process and make her feel a little less guilty about borrowing money to go to school. When she could, she would pay off a little more after her scheduled bill, but the rising rates on her other bills in the past months had kept that from being very frequent. Her loan representative for the agency had even recommended that she just wait until she left school to begin repayment, but Wennie was adamant about at least paying the monthly interest. She was damned determined to pay off her debts.

Sighing, she flipped open the laptop and navigated to the designated website. After logging in, she moved the cursor to check her remaining balance out of habit, and she felt a boulder settle in her stomach.

The balance on her account had been paid in full.

Muttering "What the fuck" to herself, she refreshed the page to make sure it wasn't an error. Seeing the same result, Wennie grabbed her phone and dialed customer service. The waiting music that reached her ears was only raising her anxiety. How could this have happened? She was tens of thousands in debt! There was no way she could have completed payments already! When a living being connected in the call, Wennie explained in detail what she had seen on her account as the person in billing checked her records.

"There is no error, Miss Sioda," the rep said enthusiastically. "This is very good news for you, congratulations!"

"But _I_ didn't make the payment!" Wennie reasoned. "There has to be an explanation... Do you happen to know who did pay off my bill?"

Some clicking was heard. "I do, ma'am."

It was worth a shot to ask. "Would you be able to tell me the name of the person that made the payment?"

"Of course, ma'am." More clicking. "Hmm. I can't find a specific name on the invoice, Miss Sioda, but I can tell you that the final payment came from a Greenwood Limited. It appears to be a large company from Europe..."

Wennie didn't hear the rest of the rep's sentence. Her brain zeroed in on "company" and "Europe", and immediately she knew who the culprit was. She quickly thanked the woman for her assistance before she hung up the phone.

Without pausing to think about what she'd say, Wennie hopped up from the couch and went to her room. In there, she grabbed her cotton bathrobe and tossed it around herself before she padded on bare feet back through her apartment and out across the hall. Given that he had invaded her personal space so many times before, Wennie didn't think to knock as she barged in the apartment. The sudden entrance had caught both ellyn by surprise, not expecting to see a recently-showered Wennie standing in their living room.

"How are your ears feeling?" Thranduil asked casually.

"Sore, and cut the crap, Thranduil," Wennie pointed at him accusingly. "I know you did it."

"What did I do?"

"That could be a number of things, sir."

"He paid off my student loans!" Wennie nearly screeched.

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!" Wennie continued. "I went to pay off my monthly interest bill and just now found out that the bill had been paid in full!"

Thranduil turned slightly in his seat, nonplussed by the agitated woman standing before him. It hadn't been the first time and most certainly wouldn't be the last, in his experience. "Pray tell, how did you come to this conclusion?"

"I called customer service and talked to a lady in billing that told me that the invoice was marked with a payment from some 'Greenwood Ltd.' company in Europe, and since I only know two people from Europe that know I had student loans, it wasn't hard to guess!"

"Oh dear." Galion muttered. He had a sneaky suspicion of what happened, and he wanted to be as far away from the explosion as possible, so he excused himself to the kitchen.

Thranduil studied Wennie for some time, letting the silence in the room gather to uncomfortable heights. She was staring at him like she expected an answer. He had one, he just wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. "I can honestly tell you that I did not pay off your student loans, Ithilwen."

Wennie's eye twitched. Since she had learned of her real name, Thranduil had taken to addressing her by it in private.

"You wish to know who made that payment?"

"Obviously."

"It was your mate."

Her eye twitched again. "Legolas?" she asked slowly. "How does he know about my loans?"

Now Thranduil looked away. "I may have told him during one of our many talks-"

"I can't believe this!" Wennie shrieked. "Does _everyone_ know how pathetically broke I am?!"

"I thought this would please you-"

"Yes! If it were me that paid it off!" Wennie threw her hands in the air, letting them hit her sides. "Those loans had my name on them, so they were my responsibility to pay. No one else's."

"Perhaps you should talk to Legolas about this," the king suggested. "I imagine he has a very good reason for his actions."

"You're right," Wennie nodded, turning for the door. "And don't call him and warn him he's about to get an earful, either!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ithilwen," he called out to her as the door closed. "You can come out now, Galion. The beast within her is gone."

Galion came to stand behind the couch where Thranduil sat, eyes trained on the door. "Would it not be wise to warn him?"

"He should be expecting this," Thranduil told him. "She has always been an independent elleth. I'm not surprised she's upset."

"I should hope not. You're the one that told your son in the first place."

"That was a miscalculation on my part, Galion. I did not expect him to do anything about her debt. I would think he would have learned by now."

* * *

In a darkened office illuminated only by the glow of the computer screen and moonlight, a large body was slumped over the desk. Pens, pencils, and various loose papers were piled around and under the sleeping figure. Near the computer speakers sat a cellular phone that had lit up and began to buzz.

Legolas had been doing everything in his willpower to not get on one of the company's private planes and flying to California since he had learned that his mate had been found. The news had shaken him, but it had also set him aflame with the desire to work. When she regained her memories of him, he wanted to show her that he had not wallowed in grief but had continued on as she would have hoped. Living in the New Arda for the duration of their search had been hell; between avoiding pestilence, war, and keeping their identities secret, the Age of Men had changed the lands far more significantly than they ever expected. That was part of why Greenwood Limited was built.

Greenwood Limited had changed from a small mom-and-pop-type store to a large corporation over time. In the beginning stages they created hand-carved furniture pieces, moving on to assimilate with the rise of technology as mass production plants took over. With some careful investing in the stock market, taking a chance on Apple and later Google, they had gained enough of a savings to further improve their company. Now, Greenwood Limited was a general company that focused on the production and improvement of environmentally-friendly goods. While they did not manufacture anything specific, they did invest in the smaller companies that were beginning to take hold, as well as the larger ones that had a credible history in their interests. What made Greenwood Limited more than just a large investor was the company's generous disposition for improving the environment as well. Many programs had been started under their name that encouraged bigger cities to plant more trees, convert to energy-efficient power solutions, and lessen the dependency on fossil fuels by expanding public transport. In effect, they had gained the name "New Age Tree Huggers" by some critics, but they couldn't deny that Greenwood Limited had earned a reputation for raising awareness.

As the cell phone continued to buzz, the sleeping form of Legolas shifted and stirred, lifting his head up to see he had a call. Legolas reached for the phone as he peeled a stray piece of paper off his cheek. He hated falling asleep at his desk, but at least this time he didn't wake up drooling. Without checking to see the name of the caller, he hit 'accept' and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"You."

"Ithilwen?" Legolas asked as his mind tried to focus.

" _You_."

"What's wrong, Ithilwen?" He now recognized it as his mate, but he didn't have a clue as to why she was near-hissing into the phone.

"What's wrong?" she asked sarcastically. "What's wrong? I can't believe you have the gall to ask me 'What's wrong' when you know exactly what is wrong!"

Rubbing his eyes, he sighed. "Contrary to popular belief I really don't know what is wrong. Could you start from the beginning, please?"

He heard her suppress a groan of annoyance before she started again. "I get home from work this evening to make a payment on a bill. I log into my account to pay said bill and I find out that it is paid in full. Thinking it is an error, I call customer service, where they tell me that a 'Greenwood Limited' was the one to foot the bill. I go over to speak to your father, thinking he was the one that paid it, when he tells me otherwise. So imagine my surprise when I find out that YOU PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS!"

Legolas had to hold the phone at an arms distance as Ithilwen's voice echoed in the room. He had almost forgotten just how loud she could get when she wanted to. Of course around him it was for an entirely different reason, and it most certainly wasn't because she was angry. The memories made the corner of his mouth twitch up in amusement until he remembered that she was in fact very angry with him.

"Ithilwen-"

"Why Legolas?" she continued, "Why would you do that? The student loans that I applied for were my own to take care of! I didn't expect anyone to come swooping in to pay them off!"

"Ithilwen," Legolas tried to soothe her nerves. "I know you didn't expect them to be paid for. When Adar told me that you had surmounted loans to go to college, I checked into them out of curiosity. If it makes you feel any better, I hesitated in my decision, because I had a feeling you would be upset."

"Then why didn't you, y'know, _not_ pay them, then?" Her voice had relaxed, and now it sounded more tired than raging. That was something, he supposed.

"Because you are my mate, Ithilwen," Legolas told her bluntly. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you are cared for. On the day of our binding ceremony I swore to you that I would take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise."

Aside from the pauses of silence on the other end, Legolas could her her try to formulate an argument to that. "That's...that's really sweet Legolas, but... I don't know. I'm not used to being taken care of so suddenly like this. It's bad enough Galion's been stocking my cabinets when I'm not home..."

"He does that a lot," Legolas smiled. "It's more a habit for him than anything else, if that helps."

"He's like a damned squirrel," Wennie laughed. "Every day I find something new." Legolas heard her voice soften as she continued to speak. "I just don't want to be the kind of girl that relies on a guy's wallet to live, you know? It's not that I'm trying to be stubborn or anything, but I want to feel as if I can take care of myself when I need to. Since my foster mom died, that's what I've been doing, so this whole thing has messed with my head."

"I understand that, but you need to understand that as your husband, I am going to take care of you. Okay?"

"...Okay." A pause. "I'm still not used to being the wife of someone I haven't met in this lifetime."

"I know, but it makes me smile to hear you call yourself my wife regardless." Legolas ran his hands through his hair as he leaned back in the desk chair. "Ithilwen, the reason I paid off your student loans was not just because you are my wife, but because I know the struggles of loans."

"Oh really." Her tone sounded sarcastic.

"Yes, really. Greenwood Limited didn't rise to where it is overnight. We were once a very small store that accepted crops as payment. We've hit hard times with the economy just like the rest of the world. And now that we have the ability, we want to pay it forward where we are able."

"And how is a student loan bill fit in with your company's mission statement?"

"Greenwood Limited has put each of our kin through college," Legolas explained. "It is a family-built company, and when someone took a notion to go to school, we supplied the funds as simple as that. We've even established scholarships around the world for deserving students. I've seen and experienced the stress that college can put on a person, Ithilwen. That is why I paid off the loans. I want you to be able to focus on the work so you can succeed like I know you can without worrying about how to pay the bill."

Wennie could be heard sighing over the phone. "I feel like an ass now," she muttered.

"Don't," Legolas told her. "Perhaps when we meet in person you'll let me feel yours?" he asked cheekily.

Now he heard Wennie snort. "Did you seriously just ask to touch my butt?"

Legolas grinned. "I would like to do more than that, honestly. I do remember you actually enjoyed it though when I squeezed-"

"I don't remember that."

"You mean you don't recall me speaking Sindarin between your legs?" he asked innocently, which was hard to do as he was grinning from ear to ear.

The squawk of surprise from the other end didn't disappoint Legolas, who had been steadily inserting dirty questions into their phone conversations more frequently. She never told him to quit though; instead she would usually fire back. It seemed this time he had really surprised her, but it was disappointing he couldn't see her expression. He'd have to remember to ask her again in person.

"W-w-w-what?! I _really_ don't remember _that_!" For Wennie, these kinds of talk between them were like friendly banter, but she couldn't have been sure if he was serious or not with this last one.

"Really? I'll have to remedy that." Legolas responded quickly.

"Wait. You're not joking, are you?" Wennie asked nervously.

"Of course I'm not," he replied. "I wasn't joking about the butt-squeezing, either."

"Good lord," she muttered to herself. Legolas heard the distinct sound of something being waved in the air on her end that sounded like paper. Was she fanning herself?

"Did I come on too strong, Ithilwen?" Legolas asked in concern. He had been honest, even as he teased her, but he was beginning to think he had gone too far too soon.

"No, but you caught me off guard."

"Well what do you think?"

"I'm not quite sure what to think, Legolas."

He stretched in his seat. "You haven't recalled anything more since we last talked?"

"Just pieces of scenery; nothing substantial," she replied. "Although now I'm wondering what kind of dreams I'm going to have tonight, thank you very much!"

Legolas grinned again. "My pleasure."

"I'm sure it is."

"Oh most assuredly," he told her. "And when you remember it will be yours as well!"

"LEGOLAS!"

"What?"

"Don't be a perv."

"You wish me to wait until we are under the same roof?"

"That would be nice, but I know you won't."

"See there, you already remember something about me," Legolas said smugly. "But did I make you feel better, Ithilwen?"

"What do you mean? Since I called?"

"Yes, you were almost hissing at me. So did I?"

A light sigh and what Legolas expected to be a smile came forth in her voice. "Yes. Yes you did, Legolas. Thank you. For...you know...everything."

"Anytime, Ithilwen."

* * *

"This is not a good idea."

"Says the one that spilled the beans about her former life," replied the woman in the front passenger seat of the car. "We're family, Thranduil. It is our god-given right to see her."

The woman sitting in the back seat scooted forward to reach the cell phone as she spoke. "And since you've already jumped ahead of the game, it's only fair for us to introduce ourselves. Make it easier for her to digest and all that."

The woman with the phone heard the king sigh in defeat. "Does Legolas know of your plans?"

"Nope, and we didn't think to tell him either," the first woman replied.

"You do realize that this will make him insufferable."

The driver laughed, having heard that sentence clearly. "Spare us the details. He's already insufferable because he hasn't gotten any in so long!"

"And you know why," the woman in the backseat countered.

"Ease up," the driver said, "I was only teasing. What I meant by it was that the princess needs some girl time with others like her, because when she gets within arms length of Legolas you won't be able to use the Jaws of Life to get her out of his grip!"

"Melda makes a good point," Thranduil stated. "How long before you three hellions arrive?"

From the back seat, Fiona tapped her own phone's screen to bring up a map. "About an hour's drive, I think," she called out as Silima held the phone over her shoulder. "Give or take the amount of traffic, and we might need to stop for gas...and we are not hellions!"

"Like hell you aren't!" the once-king shouted before he ended the call.

Silima stowed her phone away in her purse. "Are we really that bad?" she asked innocently. "I thought we were rather sweet, to be honest."

"I wouldn't go that far," Melda put in. "I don't want to be close by when you get struck by lightning!"

It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to pack up and fly to California for the three, especially since they had to be in New York City for an event in three weeks time. None of them were actively involved, but they were the closest to the location to represent the company, so it fell to them to play the part of a PR department. A quick email to Galion had gotten them directions from the airport, where they rented a car for the duration of their visit. Needless to say that Thranduil was displeased, but they had every good intention in their decision to visit with their newly-found family member.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You always get guests when you haven't cleaned your house in days. Never fails.

October had started out rather sour with the new arrival to Cogs and Coins, but Wennie wasn't going to let that distract her from her well-deserved fall break. An entire two weeks that did not call for tests, term papers, or lectures was a blessing to the young woman, who had enough crap to deal with at her workplace. Rick was proving to her that he was everything Terry was not each time she encountered him during one of her shifts. Instead of praise or encouragement on busy days, he'd tell her to step it up. During one particularly rushed lunch hour, Rick had put her down _while_ she was attending to a table full of customers. She had wanted to tell him to "sit on it" but she knew that she couldn't afford to take the chance, even if Legolas had paid off her student loans.

That was another thing that had been bugging her. Wennie felt that she was fairly independent, but something about Legolas taking care of her bill made her feel guilty. Maybe it was because she was the one to rack the bill up in the first place. Or perhaps, it was because she still couldn't remember him. Regardless, she felt like a schmuck even after he told her it was nothing to worry about. Of course to him it was nothing to worry about - he had the resources to take care of anything from the sounds of it. Wennie had nothing to her name of value many would consider worth anything. She had to bust her ass waiting tables just to afford second-hand clothes!

Yet, there was still some good to come out of the month, depending on how she looked at it. With her working overtime and filling in for everyone else on their days of absence, she had acquired a fair amount of vacation days in the past few months. Which, according to Vick's original plans for the restaurant, meant that her new manager would be required to give her mandatory leave soon. Unfortunately that also meant that she would have to come in on her day off and pick up her check, which also meant dealing with Rick on a day off - and that thought sucked.

* * *

"This apartment could use a paint job," Fiona muttered as they walked into the lobby. Each of them carried a single bag, but there were more locked away in the trunk of the rental.

"I think it could use more than that," Silima said as she took notice of the sign taped next to the elevator doors. It read 'Tendency to get stuck between floors. Use at own risk. Signed the tennants', and it was apparent the problem had not been solved as the paper had long-since curled around the corners and changed colors from age. "And Ithilwen lives here?"

"That's what Galion told us," Melda adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Otherwise Thranduil wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this."

As they began their trek up the stairs, their opinion of the building didn't get any better. How their family had managed to sleep in this building and not fear the ceiling would cave in was something else.

* * *

Wennie was using one of her first days out of school to clean her apartment. She'd dress properly later in the day when she had to go into work, but for now she was on a mission to get her chaotic home organized. It's not like she was expecting company anyway. Thranduil and Galion were out for the day, possibly doing something work-related. Bernard was busy as well tutoring a group of his classmates. Thia would be busy at the cafe, and if Jack and Esther weren't working they'd be too wrapped up in each other to want to do anything.

She had considered calling Legolas, but she had to force herself to put the phone down. As much as she enjoyed talking to him, Wennie was beginning to feel that it was a form of procrastination on her part to ignore all of the things going on in her own life. Anyway, he had a company to oversee. It's not like he had time to talk at the drop of a hat because she was feeling lonely.

Even if he had told her otherwise during their last call. Wennie didn't feel that she should come before a business that was doing so well and good for others. She could wait her turn, she told herself. So why did she want to drop the pile of dirty clothes in her hands and reach for the phone?

Luckily, a knock came from the door as she contemplated reaching for the phone, distracting Wennie. 'Who the hell could that be?' she wondered, balling up her dirty shirts and tossing them in the nearby laundry basket. Wennie cautiously went to open the door, and instead of finding a serial killer or encyclopedia pusher, she saw three young women. One blonde, one with dark brown hair, and one with a strawberry blonde tint.

"Hello!" they said simultaneously as she stared on in bewilderment.

* * *

"Is she home?" Melda whispered.

"Galion said she was," Fiona whispered back.

As their ears picked up the sound of footsteps on the other side of the door, Silima hissed quickly, "Be cool. Let's not scare her, okay?"

Three sets of heartbeats picked up in anticipation as the doorhandle turned, not knowing what to expect, but thrilled at the thought of seeing their friend again. The door opened, revealing a rather-reluctant looking young woman dressed in an old baggy shirt with tears along with a pair of plaid cotton pants. Her hair was piled up in a messy knot and she wore no makeup. It was clear she wasn't expecting visitors. Without missing a beat as they looked her over, they all said "Hello!" sweetly, not expecting to speak as one.

The young woman looked back at them, unsure. "Hello?" she asked delicately. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, yes," Fiona said, pushing around her friends. "We're looking for a Winifred Sioda."

The woman leaned lightly against the edge of the door frame. "I'm Winifred Sioda," she said. "Can I ask who you are?" None of them flinched back as she narrowed her eyes, studying them carefully. "Come to think of it, you look familiar. Like I've seen you from somewhere..."

The trio couldn't deny the spark of hope that she had remembered them from her past life as an elf, but fell with disappointment slightly as they realized this was not the case. It did however lift their spirits to learn that she had been watching their video channel. "Yes, that's us!" Melda stuck out her hand for Wennie to shake. "I'm Melda! This is Silima, and this one here is Fiona. Tauriel is back in Scotland doing work in the office."

"Scotland?" Wennie pondered. "You three work for Greenwood Limited, don't you?"

"Yes," Silima beamed. "We don't blatantly say it on our profile, but it has come up a few times in videos."

"Oh god, I'm sorry!" Wennie had forgotten herself. "Why don't you guys come in and have a seat?" She stepped aside as they entered the small apartment. "I'm sorry for the state of things. I wasn't expecting company today and thought I'd catch up on some cleaning before I go to work later."

Fiona waved it off as they made themselves comfortable. "My nephews are notorious for being messy. Nothing surprises me anymore. Actually, it doesn't look like you need to clean at all!"

"Now you're just being generous," Wennie laughed, kicking the clothes basket off to the side of the room. "I've been so caught up with school I haven't had time to properly keep myself organized. I just got out on fall break, so I started tackling this monstrosity when I got up this morning. Can I get any of you something to drink? I've got some sweet tea made, and there's some bottled water..."

"Tea would be lovely," Silima said. "But only if it's not too much trouble! We don't want to put you out."

Wennie shrugged it off. "No trouble. It might not be cold-cold, so I'm adding a few ice cubes." Carrying the four glasses with ease, she set them down on the recently-cleared coffee table. Taking one for herself, she perched on the edge of her seat. "So what brings three internet-famous vloggers here to this dinky apartment?" she asked with a laugh. "I'm not anybody worth visiting. I'm sure you have better things to do."

* * *

Wennie knew she wasn't worth a second look to most people, and that was fine to her. What she couldn't understand was why three young women that had gained a massive following would want to visit a nobody like herself. She hadn't exactly made a name for herself online unless the school's Moodle roster counted.

The three women looked back at each other before looking to her. "How can you say that?" the one named Melda asked. "Everyone means something to someone."

"But you three don't know me," Wennie countered. "I'm not a vlogger like you three are."

"Actually," Fiona said, glancing at the other two for a second, "We do know you. We're friends of Galion and Thranduil, in a way."

"How do you know them?"

"Well...we're family," Fiona told her. "Just like you are."

"I beg your pardon?" Did Wennie hear her right?

"You're kin," Melda said. "You're one of us. We thought Thranduil had told you-"

Her mind reeled. "He told me I had family, but I didn't know _who_ that entailed!"

"You mean he never told you who all was in the family?" Silima looked fit to be tied at this news. "Do you know of his son, Legolas?"

"Yes and I know that apparently I'm his wife," she got out.

"Oh good. That's one thing we don't have to explain," Fiona told the other two. "Okay, we'll give you a crash course in your family tree to help you out." Producing a small notebook and pen from her bag, she spread them out on the coffee table so that Wennie could see better. "I think the best place to start is with your grandparents. They're Celeborn and Galadriel, and they had two daughters, Celebrian and Morwen. Morwen's your mom, Ithilwen. Uh...it's okay if we call you Ithilwen, right?"

Wennie shrugged. "I don't see why not. Thranduil and Galion do."

"Great!" Fiona continued. "So Morwen is married to Haldir and they had you, but Haldir also has two brothers, Rumil and Orophin. I'm Rumil's daughter, which makes me your cousin on your father's side. Oh, and my elven name is Silivrenniel, but you can call me Fiona if you want." Her hand moved to another section of the paper. "Now Celebrian, your aunt, married a half-elf named Elrond and had four children. Elladan - he's my husband - has a twin brother named Elrohir, who consequently is Tauriel's husband. They had a younger sister named Arwen, and a younger brother named Veryamorcon, but you might know him by a different name."

Wennie held up her hands to process this. "You lost me at 'had' a sister, and I don't know anyone with that as a name. As strange as it sounds, I would have thought they'd have told me."

The three ellith exchanged looks. "Arwen," Fiona started slowly, "Being half-elven, could choose to live as a mortal or immortal. She fell in love with Estel and lived an extended mortal life by his side. But she was happy, and that was all that anyone wanted for her. Now as for the other part you didn't get, I'm surprised Bernard didn't tell you his real name! I mean he's been telling us about how college has been going and everything!"

"Bernard didn't say anything about having another name..."

"He really didn't tell you?" Melda looked surprised.

"I didn't even know he was my cousin!"

Melda smiled reassuringly. "Don't fret over it, Ithilwen. I'll make sure that husband of mine gets told what for. And I am his wife," she added with a laugh. "So that makes us cousins by marriage!"

Silima felt the need to cut in. "Just to be clear, we're not technically related by marriage or anything! I married Glorfindel, an esteemed friend of your uncle Elrond's, and the lot of us have gotten on so well that we consider each other cousins."

"Galadriel likes to think she's taken in a lot of grandchildren," Fiona grinned. "Has Thranduil told you much about his family?"

Wennie shook her head. "Not much. I know about Legolas, and that he has a mom and a sister, but that's about it."

"Tauriel is Legolas' sister," Melda confirmed for her. "She takes after her mom, Miraear, a lot. That's why they don't look very similar."

"And she's married to...Elrohir, right?" Wennie tried pronouncing the name as she heard Fiona say it. "Doesn't this get confusing?"

Fiona looked pensive. "Well... There have been a few times where Tauriel and I got them mixed up, but luckily that was before we bound. I think what can be confusing at times is figuring out which kids go to who."

"You guys have kids?" Wennie looked up in surprise. Truthfully, was she really surprised? It seemed like everyone and their dog had a kid lately.

Silima produced her phone and held it out to Wennie. "Glorfindel and I have a daughter named Melui. Fiona and Elladan have a daughter named Gwend. Elrohir and Tauriel, on the other hand, have been busy."

"Twins run in Uncle Elrond's family," Fiona told Wennie.

"Ironically, their first kids were twin boys," Silima continued. "Ernil is the oldest, but Innian can be more mature than him at times. They have a daughter as well, and she is named Baineth."

Wennie twisted the glass she held in her hands. "I feel like I'm never going to remember how to pronounce all of these names," she said lamely.

"It'll get easier as you get your memories back," Silima assured her. "My mate was also reborn. Glorfindel doesn't talk much about his last days in Gondolin, but he did get his memories returned to him relatively quickly. We can make you a cheat sheet before you get ready to meet everyone if you'd like."

"That sounds like that would be really helpful," Wennie laughed. "Have you guys found some hotel rooms nearby? I know there's some events going on that's taken up a lot of vacancies. The restaurant has been packed from near opening to close lately."

The three ellith looked between themselves, and from the startled looks they shared, it didn't appear that this was a well thought-out plan.

"We don't, actually," Fiona frowned. "We had some time before we had to fly up to New York City on business, and we wanted to come out and visit you-"

"To be truthful we wanted to visit as soon as we heard you had been found, but..." Melda pulled a face, "Thranduil was a bit of an Ithilwen-hog about the whole thing-"

"Which is understandable," Silima added hastily. "You had only found out about us, or well _some_ of us, and you needed time to adjust to the information. We would have thought he'd have told you more in these past weeks-"

"But the point is, we really wanted to see you again," Fiona smiled. "We were kind of hoping that we could crash here during our stay, but if you don't feel comfortable hosting the three of us we'll understand. I mean hell, we're practically strangers to you!"

Wennie sat there in her chair and watched as these three women nattered about a mile a minute and all at once. If she hadn't been so used to waiting on customers that all wanted to order at once, everything they said would have been garbled mush. As if on autopilot her mind fell into the "smile and nod" routine she took on at work as they spoke to her, while she tried to think of a reply to the enormous amount of information coming at her. Fiona had a point, they were basically strangers sitting in front of her, but there was something in the way they acted and spoke to her that felt like they were much more than that. Her decision wasn't a hard one, but she did have a few things she was concerned with, and none of them fell on the three women.

"I've only got the one bedroom, unfortunately," she told them, "but I do have extra bedding-"

"Oh please, Ithilwen! Don't worry about that! We're perfectly fine sleeping on the couches!" Fiona told her.

"Okay, well I feel I need to warn you of the shower. The water pressure's not the greatest, since this building is old and all...and the hot water has a tendency to drop out entirely some days. I don't have classes for these next two weeks, but I've got work still. The way my hours have been looking this week I might be having a break from that as well."

"That's great!" Melda looked thrilled. "We'll have more time to hang out together!"

Wennie laughed on the outside, but inside she couldn't help but reassess what funds she had on hand in her bank account. A break was good for them, but she still had her other bills to pay. She could get used to skipping meals again if it came to it. She'd done it before.

* * *

At Cogs and Coins, the three ellith had asked Olivia to seat them at one of Wennie's available tables, but Fiona had nearly slipped up and said "Ithilwen" instead. It was an unspoken rule between all of them to not acknowledge her by her given Sindarin name publicly until she was ready, but in private all bets were off. Luckily the restaurant was so crowded that Olivia failed to catch the near slip-up, and found them an empty corner booth before going back to her work.

"Do you have any idea what kind of mess that could have been?" Silima groaned to Fiona as Wennie left with their drink orders.

"Yes I know and I'm sorry! It was an accident, believe me!" Fiona whispered back.

Melda had been swiftly scrolling through the pictures on her phone while the pair argued. She had taken a few pictures of Wennie's uniform whenever she got a clear shot. "Do you think I ought to text these to Legolas?" she asked, holding up her phone.

"Better to let him get a picture of his own, I think," Silima said. "They're good, don't get me wrong. But maybe this ought to be something he should have that was meant for him specifically?"

"You're probably right," she said, thumbing through the opened album. "But if he catches wind that I have some and wants to see them, I'm not going to hold out." She was still miffed that her own mate thought it was a good idea to hide her under their noses. Melda closed the album and scrolled her contacts list, looking for Bernard's number. It was far too noisy this evening for actual talking, so she sent him a text to tell him they were in town.

Silima and Fiona didn't think it was too loud, however, as the former was producing her own phone and dialing a particular number. On the flat screen a small box appeared, showing a youngish-looking man with golden blonde hair that sported large headphones around the nape of his neck. "Hello love," he grinned from the small screen, "How goes it?"

"We're in San Francisco, that's 'how goes it'!" When he looked confused, she elaborated, "We came to see Ithilwen."

"She's there?"

"Not right _now_ , obviously. She's working this evening. We came out to get something to eat and see where she works."

"Does Legolas know?"

Fiona groaned this time. "You're like the third person to have asked us that."

"Well does he?"

"No, and it's not like he can come over here and stop us," she added. "She's our family too."

"Of course, but this is his mate we are discussing. You know how he is."

Silima nodded. "And we know what it'll be like when he gets to her-"

"Loud-"

"I was referring to him not wanting to let her go." Silima looked pointedly at Fiona.

"You are aware that if Legolas gets wind of your teasing his lack of a sex life, he will make you pay."

Silima looked down to her phone and batted her eyelashes innocently. "But that's what you're here for, meleth! You swore to protect me!"

"Consider the fact that I've died once already at the hands of a balrog and rethink that statement."

"I would have figured death wouldn't scare you, Glorfindel," Fiona grinned.

"I'm a firm believer that Mandos would be ashamed of my demise if I perished at the hands of the horny Prince of Greenwood and would refuse to let me be reborn. _Again_."

Before a counter statement could be made, Wennie appeared again with drinks on a tray. Melda had tucked her phone away into her purse as her drink was placed before her. "You guys ready to order?" she asked.

"Bernard said he'd be joining us for a quick bite," Melda told her. "He said for me to go ahead and tell you he wanted his usual, and that he was on his way."

Wennie nodded as she began to take down notes of the orders, not paying much attention to the commentary that seemed to come from one of the phones until Silima gestured for her to look. "Ithilwen," she whispered, "I want you to meet someone." Silima held her phone out across the table and just about under Wennie's nose, not knowing her vision had improved so much that her glasses were just plain glass lenses now. "This is my husband, Glorfindel."

"Hello, Glorfindel," Wennie greeted him with a light wave. "Sorry you caught me in the middle of work."

"Hello there, Ithilwen," Glorfindel's voice came out sounding more charming than sarcastic as it was earlier. "It's of no consequence. You look so different than I am used to, but I attribute that to the clothes. You're still the playful little elleth that would couldn't sit still when she came to visit her aunt and uncle."

Despite not knowing these memories Silima's mate spoke of, she still laughed, not finding it that hard to imagine. "I guess I'm still like that if I can keep up with so many tables," she grinned.

"From the sounds of things you are quite busy," he noted. "I will let you resume your duties, Ithilwen. If you got in trouble because of me my wife would never let me hear the end of it. It was good to see you again, at long last."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Glorfindel," Wennie smiled and waved once more before moving to deliver the next set of orders to the kitchen.

Only after Wennie was out of sight did Silima ask, "So why do you think I would berate you if Ithilwen got in trouble?" she asked in a neutral tone.

"Because even though you were the one to start the phone call it would fall to me as the distraction-"

"You're feeling brave," Fiona commented as she saw Bernard being directed to their table.

"Possibly but that is because I am still in the Mediterranean with the twins."

Bernard kissed Melda gently on the cheek as he sat down. "Is that Glorfindel?" he asked.

"It is, youngling," came the voice from the phone. "Elrohir wishes to know if you will be joining us for a few hours of Prop Hunt later tonight?"

Before the ellon had a chance to reply, Melda spoke. "Actually, Glorfindel... Bernard's going to be busy tonight."

"What?" Bernard looked confused. "I don't have anything going on- Oooh." The tips of his pointed ears had begun to turn red, though it was hard to see within the dark mass of curly hair.

* * *

Two days later and Wennie had gotten a text from Olivia that the checks were ready to be picked up. Like she predicted - really it was just the fates' idea to screw with her - it happened after she had been told she needed to use her vacation days.

Bernard and Melda hadn't been seen since that first night, at least until she was dropped off wearing the same clothes that Wennie first saw her in. She had pouted about their time being cut short, but he had taken on some side work on campus that needed to be done over the student break. It wasn't until after she had lamented about "not knowing what she was going to do without him" that she remembered her cousin's situation and immediately felt awful. Wennie had tried to tell her that it was kind of hard to be upset over something that she couldn't yet recall, but deep down it did sting.

More than she realized.

It was in the absence of talking to Legolas that Wennie realized she had come to depend on his voice alone. She thought it weird, but as she talked to the other ellith about this, she couldn't help but notice the knowing grins they all shared or how they nodded in sync. Maybe it wasn't such an odd thing after all?

Wennie had gotten dressed for the day in a pair of worn and ragged denim jeans and a baggy shirt that didn't have holes in it for once. With a pair of sneakers she was ready to brace the "joyous" meeting with her new boss, but it seemed that everyone else had decided to tag along. Galion drove them to Cogs and Coins, only parking in the back at Wennie's request. She'd just need to pop in the back entrance, after all.

"Good morning, sir." While her tone was light, Wennie's mood was anything but. She despised having to interact with Rick, because it seemed like she was one of his favorite targets to nitpick. It was worse when they were alone, but she instinctively bit her cheek as he turned in his desk chair.

"Morning," he said flatly. "Enjoying your days off?"

'Keeping it casual?' Wennie thought, 'What's his deal?' "It's going well," she replied. "Some family dropped in a few days ago to visit."

Rick hadn't paid much attention directly to Wennie, as he was currently rifling through the envelopes. "Then you might want to make the most of your days off," he said stiffly. "If Victor hadn't noticed that you were one of the last to use your vacation days and made me schedule you to use them all at once, you'd be working two days from now. As it stands," he continued, turning in his seat to face her, "Victor did. Now I don't know what kind of relationship you lot have had with the owner, but it must be something to allow so many days off to pile up like they have."

"There were extenuating circumstances," Wennie replied, trying not to get defensive. "Other engagements were made and the number of staff were severely limited. I didn't have plans so I opted to fill in, simple as that."

"Simple as that," Rick muttered, tapping the envelope in his hands. He made to hold it out to her, and pulled it away just as Wennie reached for it. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Wennie," he said, "If you are expecting things to run the way Terry handled the restaurant, you had best think again-"

"You are our new boss, sir. I didn't expect-"

"Do not interrupt your boss when he is talking!" Rick stood up, and though his words weren't loud or overbearing, they were sharp enough to nearly make her flinch back. "You listen to me, little miss," he told her in an even tone, "I run this place now. That means no back-talking, no grief, and utmost respect. Do you understand?"

Wennie wasn't sure if he was about to say something else, so she remained silent.

"I asked you a question, Sioda," his voice was now barely concealed patience. "What is your answer?"

"I understand, sir." she replied softly, afraid if she spoke any louder he'd misinterpret it as insubordination.

"Good." Rick handed her the envelope, and this time when she reached for it, he placed it in her hands. "Enjoy your time off, Sioda. I'll see you in a week." And just like that, his ill-sounding voice had returned to as it had been when she entered the office. Rick had turned his back on her with a wave of his hand, dismissing her as he sat back down in his chair.

Wennie didn't need to be told twice to high-tail it out of the office, and left in the shortest number of strides possible. She didn't stop to speak to anyone she passed as she walked down the corridor, nor did she realize that she was clenching her paycheck until she got back into Galion's car.

"Everything okay, penneth?" Galion had asked from behind the wheel. Even if no one else picked up on her prickly mood, he could see from the rear view mirror that her encounter with the boss hadn't been pleasant.

"Yeah, fine," she muttered, tearing open the envelope to remove and sign the back of the check. She was on fall break and vacation. She was supposed to be enjoying this time off, not wanting to rip the face off of her new boss.

* * *

A trip to the nearest bank and Wennie deposited her check, only having slight satisfaction in the current balance because of her snippy boss' mood that morning. The one good thing about the majority of her utilities being bundled with the rent was that she could safely estimate how much she would need to put back each month. She had done the calculations very carefully, and by the time she was ushered into a little cafe with the other girls for brunch, Wennie could proudly say she had a little money to splurge on herself.

Galion, having found a place in the general parking lot of the area, walked with Thranduil behind the four girls as they toured the stores along the street after brunch. Occasionally Wennie would peek over her shoulder and smile apologetically to the two ellyn, feeling guilty that they were being subjected to the roles of escorts. Galion found that he didn't mind, just as he assumed his friend didn't either. It was a nice change to see the young princess do something, well...normal...for once. If she wasn't moving between her apartment and work, it was from there to school, or from class to class, or from school to work. Even at home she was moving, either by cleaning or studying. At least now it was at a leisurely pace and filled with enjoyment rather than stress.

For Wennie, this excursion gave her an opportunity to see and browse stores she normally sped past in her daily rush. It was nice to be able to stop and actually _look_ around at what she was missing out on.

Unfortunately, this came with a price. A big price. The kind of price that would call for selling one's kidney on the black market. These damn stores were fucking expensive!

She sighed to herself as she was drug in yet another high-dollar store by her cousins. Just from the displays in the windows, Wennie didn't even feel like she could afford to window-shop down this street anymore. 'I'd best enjoy looking around,' she thought, 'Cause when they leave there's no way I could come in here by myself...' Flipping the pricetag of a dressy blouse she thought was cute, only to find that it cost more than one of her paychecks, Wennie turned it back hastily and tried to keep the stomach acid down. 'It's official. I can't even afford to breathe in this store!'

One look at some of the employees had Wennie looking away quickly in embarrassment. 'They know I don't belong here.' Looking down at herself, it wasn't hard to see why. Her worn-and-torn sneakers didn't fit among the stiletto pumps, and the chipped screenprinted Van Halen T-shirt and ripped denim certainly didn't add style to the rack of minuscule dresses with designer labels. Wennie wanted to leave, to disappear into the badly-lit racks of discounted trending clothes that even K-Mart couldn't push and avoid the scrutiny of these women. Was it part of their natural attitude or was it a requirement of the job to stare down one's nose at the customers?

Wennie had nearly made it to the door when Melda caught her elbow. "Something wrong?" the blond elleth looked on in concern.

"N-no, I was just thinking about getting some fresh air is all," Wennie fibbed.

It seemed that Melda was having none of it, however. "What's really wrong?" she tried again.

Sparing a sidelong glance to make sure no one was nearby, Wennie pulled her cousin over behind a tall rack of coats. "I don't belong here."

"Of course not," Melda whispered, "You're Sindarin-"

"No, I mean this store!" Wennie ran a hand through her hair. "Look at me, Melda! I'm not fit to even be in here!"

"You have every right to be in this store," the elleth furrowed her brows in confusion. "You've got money-"

Wennie shook her head. "I've got bargain-store money, not this kind of money." When Melda didn't respond to that, she asked, "You don't know how much a waitress typically makes, do you?"

Melda frowned, trying to comprehend what Wennie was telling her, and when it clicked she felt even more like an ass for not realizing sooner. "Oh! I just thought - I mean you've said the restaurant has been so busy lately and all-"

"Bills. School." Wennie didn't add that Legolas had paid off the loans. That had helped a significant amount, but it didn't completely end her debt with the school. Recurring materials and textbooks had to be saved for for the next semester as well.

The blonde elleth sighed and looked at her feet, lavender-painted toes peeked out from her fancy sandals at Wennie's scuffed sneakers. "Look, I'm sorry Ithilwen," she began. "If I had stopped to think... It's just that we're used to going into stores like these... I know that's a lame excuse-"

"It's fine," Wennie told her. She didn't mean to bring one of her cousins' mood down. "If I find a fancy key chain I like I might get it," she attempted to joke.

"You don't have a car..."

"I've got an apartment key and a bike lock key. I'll make them sassy or something." Wennie found herself smiling once Melda had begun to laugh again. "I'm sorry Melda, I wasn't trying to be a downer-"

"Don't worry about it, Ithilwen," Melda put her arm around her cousin's shoulders and steered her through the store. "Just...out of curiosity, did you see anything you liked in this store? Be honest with me; I wanna know."

"Nothing that would involve me selling my soul over," Wennie said dryly, making the elleth laugh in agreement.

* * *

After the group left that particular store, the day seemed to brighten for Wennie. She had learned that none of the other girls had felt the price was worth its quality, and Silima even took to deconstructing everything wrong with a mesh-like dress that they wanted almost two grand for because it was similar to a celebrity look. "If I wanted my ass to hang out of a dress, I'd buy an actual dress" she had told the employee. "But this, this is onion-bag mesh! I could go down to the grocery store and fashion me a dress out of onion bags for like fifty dollars!" From that moment on they mutually decided that if none of them liked the atmosphere of the store the wouldn't give it a second glance.

Melda had been more considerate since leaving that store, often asking Wennie what she thought of this or of that. Wennie would have to respond honestly or else she wouldn't quit, finally giving up to the point of just declaring what things she found genuine interest in. She missed the covert looks shared between the girls when she turned her back, but she couldn't help but notice the ever-growing number of bags that Galion and Thranduil were toting behind them.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to drop their bags off in the car?" she asked Galion as they left a beauty supply store. She held a small bag in her hands, having found a lovely scent of shower gel she couldn't pass up, her first purchase of the day.

"We will manage," Thranduil told her. He held out his hand to add her bag to the bundle so that she could browse hands-free, but she tried to refuse.

"I can't let you carry this too," she said lamely. "You've already got an armful of my cousin's things!"

"Who said it was just theirs?" he asked.

A wail of outrage came from Fiona. "Dammit Thranduil you told!"

"I believe that you did just now," he corrected her.

"What did you do?" Wennie asked, turning to face her cousins.

"Nothing!" they replied.

Wennie pointed to Thranduil and Galion's arms. "Really? That doesn't look like nothing!"

The three ellith looked conflicted as they glanced between the other two, and all it managed to do was make Wennie more suspicious. "Alright fine," Fiona said at last. "Since I kind of blew it, I'll tell. We were going to wait until we left for New York City to tell you, but...well...Thranduil's right."

"Aren't I always?"

Galion rustled the bags as he choked on his spit and began to cough. Thranduil simply raised an eyebrow at him.

Wennie was putting on a rather good imitation of the king as well, only directed at the ellith instead. Silima tried to explain. "Melda told us about how you felt in _that_ store-"

"How did you do that?" Wennie asked, "I was right there. I would have heard you!"

"Never underestimate the power of a text," Melda grinned triumphantly. "I'm sorry, but I felt bad and I wanted to do something! Can you blame us?"

"Uh, yes!" she looked exasperated. "I feel like some charity case now! First Legolas paid off my student loans and now you guys are buying me expensive things - am I that pathetic?"

"No! No, not at all!" Fiona reassured her. "Ithilwen, you're our family! Us all going shopping is something we've wanted to do since we became so successful as a company! There's nothing pathetic about it in the least! We just wanted to make up for all of the missed opportunities for begetting day gifts and all the holidays that rolled by without you. Believe me, when Legolas gets near you, this will be tame."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's going to shower you with anything and everything. He's always been about spoiling you, and he's been unable to do so for so long. It's not to make you uncomfortable or anything," she added, seeing Wennie's face look pained, "We've just missed you, that's all. Legolas has missed you more than anyone realizes, I think."

Wennie sighed. "And I can't remember him..."

"You will," Silima said. "And when you do, you'll see just how much you've missed him as well." She reached over to clap Wennie on the shoulder, "So suck it up, chicka! We're taking you shopping whether you like it or not!"

* * *

In two weeks Wennie had gone from being cousin-less to having four. In two weeks three of said cousins had managed to fill her head with stories of family that she still did not know from a stranger, but she felt like she had more regardless. In those two weeks, Wennie had begun to feel like she really belonged with a group of people.

And then they had to leave.

She was sad of course, but like them, work was an obligation that demanded. Each of them had given her their personal numbers so that she could call them any time, and her new phone's contact list had gotten a little bigger. However the one that she knew she'd end up calling most often would still be Legolas.

Legolas, as it turned out, hadn't been told of her cousin's side trip. She had accidentally let it slip during one of their late-night calls, and she had spent much of their time trying to soothe his disappointed ego. How she knew he was pouting all the way in Scotland, she had no idea, but somehow she could tell it in the way he said "Everyone is getting to come see you but me...".

"That's not true," she had told him. "I still haven't met your sister or mother. Or my parents...or grandparents...or aunt and uncle..."

"Give them time," he sulked. "They will likely get to see you before I do."

As far as time was concerned, Wennie wasn't sure if she'd have time to receive any other family visits. She had been called back into work two days earlier than planned because of some corporate gathering that had reserved the restaurant, but really she knew it was because Rick was a cynical sonofabitch. Her fall break had prematurely come to an end then, and because of it she didn't get to spend as much time with her cousins as she would have liked.

Bernard had once again caught hell, just from Wennie this time around. By this point he had managed to do a fair job of reciting his reasons for not telling her she was family in the first place. He found he was more surprised that she wasn't mad with him, but she did make him sit down and spend the following weekend filling her in on what else he had hidden from her. He talked about his siblings and his wife and daughter, as well as his parents and where they were raised. This brought up more questions, which he was hesitant to answer, as some of them delved back into history further than he was comfortable remembering. Their race wasn't as pure as modern stereotypes could lead one to believe, but there was one particular thread of her history he knew Thranduil wouldn't want her knowing.

The process of regaining her memories had been slow still, though she was seeing more of the environments that her cousins described to her in great detail. In these dreams it seemed that she was the only one in the area, which aside from the loneliness of it all, helped her take in her past experiences better.

And through all of this, Wennie continued to visit her foster mother's grave. She felt guilty that it wasn't as frequent as she used to do, but the surge of new people and longer hours at work had kept her from making time. Of course Angela Pearson wouldn't have wanted her to wallow in the guilt or what she couldn't change when so many new things were happening around her. Angela would have told her to embrace these new people that called her family, because family didn't end in blood, as she had raised Wennie to understand.

* * *

"Hello, ion-nin."

"Why have I not heard from Ithilwen?" his son asked over the phone.

"I thought you were speaking regularly?"

"We are, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"Then what is it?"

"Why hasn't Ithilwen received my package yet?"

Thranduil had been reclining across the couch reading a magazine when Legolas had called. Now, that magazine had slipped off his lap to be forgotten on the floor. "Son, I know we are both adults but I do not feel comfortable speaking about this. When Ithilwen regains her memories and she is ready, you can come deliver your...package...to her in person. Besides, I would think it difficult to reach all the way across the world-"

Legolas groaned in defeat. "Oh for fucks sake," he mumbled into the phone. "I wasn't...I wasn't referring to anything of the sort, Adar!"

"Then what on earth are you talking about?"

"I sent a package - an actual package from FedEx - to your address," he explained. "I told Galion to expect it within a days time-"

"Galion!" Thranduil called out.

"What?" came the reply from across the apartment.

"Have we received anything from my son through FedEX recently?"

Thranduil looked alarmed to see Galion come flying down the hall with a decent-sized box in his hands, only for it to be thrust at him. He looked up curiously with the hope of an explanation.

"Things have been so busy in the past two weeks with the ellith staying with Ithilwen that I became distracted and forgot to bring this to your attention." Galion leaned down over the couch to better speak into the phone. "The package arrived safely, my prince. Forgive me, the fault in this matter is mine." Then he was gone, back to resume his previous activities.

"There you have it, Legolas," Thranduil said calmly. "Just a simple matter."

"Can you give it to her soon?"

"That will not be until later this evening, I'm afraid. Ithilwen is presently at work."

* * *

Wennie was tired.

It appeared that the new thing at Cogs and Coins was the arrival of reserved seating, something Rick believed would bring in more business from groups than just families. He claimed that by allowing groups to reserve sections of the restaurant, the revenue and tips would be more substantial. The corporate group that had started it all had been a small one of no more than seven. Seven sounded like a fair-sized group for an establishment that wasn't part of a chain.

Not twenty.

Especially not a group of young adults celebrating the 21st birthday of their youngest companion with alcohol.

There had been some conflict over establishing which was the designated driver, only for a particularly loud one to announce rather rudely that they had rented a limo driver for the night. Then it had been a matter of clearing all IDs before the first drop of liquor had come anywhere near the group. After that, it was chaos.

Wennie was one of three waitresses that were handling this group, and because of the assignment, it made tending to her regular customers rather difficult. Aside from the raucous noise they presented, their manners were lacking even more. Catcalls from the males and snobbish remarks about her uniform from the females had reached Wennie's ears all night. "Burlesque Hooter" they had called her all night, no matter how many times she firmly corrected them. Many times she was refilling glasses at another table and checking on these customers, only to be shouted at from across the room. She lost track of how many times she apologized to couples and families that had dined that evening.

But the worst of it all didn't come until the bill was presented and paid. They had practically ransacked the area, leaving food scattered across the tables, around the floor, and somehow on the ceiling. A concoction of liquids had been spilled over the cotton tablecloths as well, and she feared the stains wouldn't come out. As they were cleaning up the tables of the dishes and silverware, they discovered what was assumed to be a tip left by the group under an overturned bowl of salsa and chips. It was a five dollar bill, to be split between three worn-down and very angry waitresses.

Then Rick had called them to his office, despite the fact that they had other tables to wait on. As it stood, this birthday group had left feedback when they paid their bill, claiming that the wait-staff were incompetent and incapable of following requests. They weren't swift enough to bring the food and got the orders wrong - a complete lie, Olivia had argued - they were just too drunk to realize it. Rick had rounded on them all, saying that he didn't care what really happened. They had come for a party and had left a mess that could rival a rock star's hotel room in their wake, and now it had to be cleaned up.

Wennie's shift was supposed to end at 7:30, but with the massive cleanup and lecture that she had to endure, she didn't get out until 9:20. Bernard had dropped her off, waiting until she was inside the building before he returned to his dorm; she knew he had an early start and assured him she could make it on her own. Truthfully, her feet hurt, her joints hurt, and her head felt like it was about to crack wide open. She wanted to just go home, undress, and climb in the bed, but she had promised to come visit with Thranduil and Galion.

It came as a surprise to see Thranduil waiting out in the hallway for her when she arrived on the landing. "You're late," he stated, taking in her appearance. "Is all well?"

"Just a rough day at work. With some sleep I'll be fine," she told him. "I'm sorry about being late. I know I missed dinner, so I'll just microwave something and head to bed."

"Nonsense," came a voice from the other door. Galion stood there with a small stack of containers in his hands, which he passed to Wennie. "You still deserve a proper meal, Ithilwen," he told her. "The top container is corn bread, the second is red kidney beans, green bell pepper, and beef sausage, and the third is white rice. I would heat each separately, but be careful to not overheat the rice."

Wennie took the containers and nodded distractedly. "Uh, thank you Galion. That was very nice."

"Enjoy it and get some rest," he advised. "I heard you out here. It sounds like you could do with a good night's sleep." He turned and entered the apartment once more, leaving Thranduil to open her door.

"This was what you guys ate, right? Galion didn't go out of his way to make something special?"

"We have plenty left over," he told her.

"Okay good. I was gonna be mad if this wasn't leftovers," she laughed, setting the containers in the top shelf of her refrigerator.

"May I ask why you were late coming home?" Thranduil took a seat at the kitchen table.

Wennie joined him shortly, dropping into the seat rather roughly. "We had a 21st birthday party that we had to entertain tonight."

"That does not sound that bad."

"There were twenty young people that had never been raised on manners and alcohol," she grimaced. "Ate like pigs, destroyed the area, and left a five dollar tip for Olivia, Alexandria, and myself. And they had the gall to complain to Rick about our services!" Wennie tossed her hands up as she let out her frustrations. "We were top-notch and followed protocol with these kids! We weren't the ones to shout across the restaurant at them! We weren't leaving food and liquor all over the place to be cleaned up! We didn't call them a Burlesque Hooter-!"

"A what?" Given the flushed cheeks of the elleth across from him, this last insult seemed rather personal. He could understand why, to a point. She was never one of the more fragile-appearing ellith in middle-earth, having developed more shape in her figure than many.

"Burlesque Hooter," she repeated. "There is a big difference between steampunk and burlesque! I get the Hooter joke - if they hadn't been so obnoxious it might have been funny!"

Thranduil rose from his seat to pick up the package he had set on the coffee table and brought it back with him. "I came in earlier to drop this off for you, but it seems that in your mood you would most likely overlook it." He slid the package to her, adding, "This came about two weeks ago for you. Things had become so busy that Galion and myself forgot to give it to you."

Wennie waved it off. "It's no big deal, Thranduil. Stuff like that happens."

"Are you sure it isn't a big deal?" he asked. "It came from my son."

She tried to ignore the way her heart picked up. "It's from Legolas? What is it?"

"I do not know," Thranduil said as she got up to get a knife from the kitchen drawers. "He did not tell me, but simply said that it was meant for you."

Wennie cut the tape at one end of the box carefully, and turned it to continue around the remaining seams. She was not excited that Legolas had sent her something, she tried to tell herself. "He doesn't have to do this," she said as she pried apart the top flaps.

"Perhaps you should see what it is before you say such things."

"Believe me, I'm gonna say it no matter...what...it...is..." Wennie had pushed past the styrofoam packing peanuts to unveil another box. This box's covering was wrapped in blue wrapping paper covered in silver stars. On top of it was a small card, that when opened, revealed a beautifully handwritten note...but it wasn't in English. Come to that, it didn't look like any language she had ever seen before. She held it out to Thranduil with a frown. "What does this say?"

Thranduil took the card and glanced it over, knowing right away what Legolas had done was probably not his greatest move. "It is Tengwar, the written language of our kin," he said. "Legolas has a habit of slipping into the old ways when he signs anything. I suppose he hoped you would have been able to decipher it yourself."

"I'm lucky I passed two semesters of Spanish!" she told him.

He laughed to himself at that. "What the card reads is this: To my wife, with all my love. May this make your journey more bountiful with each passing day."

Despite herself, Wennie could feel her cheeks warm at the mention of 'wife'. "That's very sweet," she said, trying to stamp down her blush before he noticed. "Did Legolas always do this? Go around addressing me as 'his wife', I mean."

"It was mostly used in introductions," Thranduil commented. "I think this is more for your benefit."

"How so?" Wennie had begun to tear away at the wrapping paper seams as she talked.

"So that you can feel assured that you have a place," he said. "He doesn't want you to think that there is no one in the world that cares about you. It stems from his grief that you were reborn here instead of in Valinor, because it had taken us so long to get back to the shores."

Wennie didn't know what to say to that, but she felt the telltale signs of her cheeks flushing once more. Feeling the smooth texture of the cardboard box beneath her fingertips, she looked down to see a list of specifications printed on the revealed section. 'Intel Core processor...wireless connectivity...4 gigabyte RAM... This can't be what I think it- holy fuck it is...' It was a laptop. A brand new one that was highly advanced compared to her refurbished device.

"Legolas bought me a new laptop," Wennie removed the rest of the wrapping paper and set it beside the box on the table. This one's components were far larger and faster than she ever dreamed she could get from her computer, and the fact that Legolas had deliberately picked this one out for her was enough to render her stunned.

"So it is," Thranduil studied the box. "Now you can complete your assignments easier, can you not?"

She nodded, reaching over to look at the card she could not read, still trying to comprehend why he would do something like this. The only thought that kept coming forth was, "How did he know I needed a new computer?"

Thranduil had tried to appear innocent, and Wennie knew right off that this was his doing. "You told your son to buy me a new computer?" she asked.

"That is neither here nor there-"

"Thranduil..."

"I did not blatantly tell him to do so! Legolas had been asking about your well being long before you two talked. It was just one of the mundane things in conversation that came up, and apparently he remembered. Legolas has clearly purchased this computer for you because it was his desire to do so."

Wennie leaned back in her chair, slightly unsure if she fully believed that. She was still reeling from the new clothes haul she had inadvertently garnered from her cousins, and she still hadn't gotten over having her kitchen ninja-stuffed with groceries. But...it's not like she didn't _need_ a new computer anyway, and the gesture was rather sweet. She surmised that the problem was her instead, unable to wrap her head around the fact that she had a flesh-and-blood husband in Scotland that was trying to spoil her.

"Okay, well I'm just going to have to find a way to thank Legolas for this," she said, looking closer at the box. "...Uh...do you think he was aware that he sent me one with a webcam?"

'That explains his urgency for Ithilwen to receive the package,' Thranduil realized. "I believe that might have been part of his intentions," he said. "Each time I've spoken to him he sounds rather disappointed that he cannot see you at this time."

Wennie looked up at him in confusion.

"It would be beneficial for you to recover your memories before meeting Legolas," Thranduil explained, "I do not think he understands the hurt of his mate not remembering him fully."

"That makes sense," she sighed. "I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and I feel horrible because I can't do anything to speed things up. Everyone says 'you'll remember when you remember', but it's not their memories that are lost!"

Thranduil tapped the corner of the box where it indicated that it held a small webcam. "Then might I suggest utilizing this? Legolas would get to see you and you both could still talk to the other. And if my son can allow you the time, perhaps your cousins could see you more often as well."

"You don't think he'd share?" she asked jokingly.

"Ithilwen, when my son gets in the same room with you, I do not doubt that he won't let you out of his sight - or hold - for a weeks' time." He rose from his seat and came around the table to stand before her. "You should eat your dinner soon," he said, bending to gently kiss her forehead, "It is getting late and I imagine you will be up half the night speaking to Legolas."

Wennie thanked Thranduil as he let himself out of the apartment, thinking that he was just being sarcastic about his son's behavior.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hello stranger."

"Ithilwen," she heard him say through the phone, "Did you get my package?"

"I did, and I must thank you Legolas. This was very sweet of you, even though you shouldn't have."

"You are my mate. I want to be sure you are taken care of," he replied. "What was that sound?"

"Oh, sorry, those were my boots. I was working late and I had to change out of my work clothes. I've got you on speakerphone, else I'd drop the thing."

"Really?" he purred, seeming to forget the last bit of what she said, "What are you wearing right now?"

Wennie laughed despite herself. "I'm wearing...a tank top...and pajama shorts." With each pause she could swear he was hanging on to hear her say something more saucy, but he was going to be sorely disappointed. She was dressing for comfort tonight.

"Is it tiny and lacey?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope," she busted his bubble. "Cotton."

"Tease," he muttered.

"I'm sorry I'm not feeling up to wearing a negligee and thong tonight," she added exasperatedly as she picked the phone up and brought it with her to the kitchen. She continued to talk as she dug for the leftovers Galion had given her and began to reheat them. "I had a bad day at work, my feet are sore, and I'm hungry."

She could almost swear he was pouting again. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Do you think you'd wear them another night?"

"Maybe if I had them," she said offhandedly, only to realize what she said. "Don't you dare think about it, Legolas!"

Legolas could be heard laughing. "I think I'd rather wait until I could take you shopping for those myself," he told her, "That way you could model them for me in the dressing room..."

Wennie felt her brows pinch together as another blush came about, this time starting from her chest and creeping up to the tips of her ears. "So you do know you sent me a webcam with this computer, right?" She had to change the subject or she'd swear she'd be able to cook food on her cheeks and chest.

"I am, and was hoping we could use it."

"I'm not doing that on a webcam-"

"I never suggested anything of the sort!" His voice sounded far too innocent. "You were the one to suggest it. My thoughts were pure."

"As freshly fallen snow," she snorted, removing her heated plate of food and bringing it and the phone to the table. The laptop now lay open and booted up while the software for the webcam was installing. She wasn't going to admit it out loud, but the idea of being able to see Legolas as they talked was exciting.

"Of course," he said smugly. "Have you turned the computer on yet?"

"I let it boot up before I went to change clothes. It's now installing the webcam software."

Wennie then proceeded to eat as she listened to Legolas' instructions on what video conferencing program he used, how to get it, and how to connect to his 'room'. She learned that this was the same conference room that her family used to speak to each other on when they were scattered around the world, and that separate sub-rooms could be added on from it by anyone with access to the main room. Legolas, knowing that she was eating dinner, talked her through each step slowly and gave her time to finish each task before he continued. This was hard for him, considering that he was anxious to finally see her, even if it was over the internet.

"No one else is going to come on the main room tonight?" she asked as she pushed her empty plate away and made to create a user account.

"Not tonight. If they do they would most likely jump into a sub-room," Legolas explained. This was the first time he was going to see Ithilwen, and he did not want to have to share her just yet. If that meant he booted one of his kin into a sub-room by force, then so be it. "When your account is created, you should be brought into the room. Up at the top will be your personal preferences for the camera, microphone, and speaker availability as well as volume control. You'll need to set them before anything else. There's also a chatroom box that can be hidden, or you can just enlarge any other webcam windows to cover it."

"Okay," she nodded. "I've got to let you go for a second, Legolas. My phone's battery is nearly gone."

"That is fine," he said. "I'll be seeing you soon enough."

Wennie hung up the phone and jumped from her seat to find the phone charger. While it was true that her battery was a hair's width from being dead, she wanted to do a once-over in front of her mirror. Yes, it was vain. Yes, it was petty. Yes, she was being ridiculous, but Wennie suddenly felt self-conscious. Her hair looked slightly messy, even after she finger-combed it, but at least what makeup she wore wasn't smudged into "raccoon eyes". She felt she didn't look glamorous by any stretch of the imagination, but she knew it would have to do.

Once she was sitting back down at the table before the computer, she had to force herself to breathe normally. Why was she getting so nervous? She had talked to Legolas for weeks now; she had no reason to freak out just because it would be on a webcam. Was she afraid that he would be disappointed with what he might see? That made sense, to her anyway. She knew that he was waiting on her, and he'd probably call again if she didn't pluck up the courage and just enable the camera already. Wennie swallowed as she enabled each setting one by one; first the speakers, then the microphone, and finally the camera.

Two things happened First, the little gray window in the room she had been looking at in the top corner revealed a mirror-like image of herself. Second, the larger window that had been sized to take up much of the space had changed to reveal Legolas.

"Ithilwen," he was smiling. That was good.

"Hi," she said shyly, giving him a small wave in the camera.

What Wennie didn't know was that Legolas had been just as anxious as she was moments before. Now that he was able to see her, he understood why his father had advised him not to fly to California, for the sight of his mate was overwhelming. It was like a punch to the gut to see her again after so long, despite her change of appearance from the last time they had been together. He noticed that her hair was shorter and streaked with bright colors for starters. This didn't bother him - he actually found it rather like her to do such a thing - but he couldn't help but gasp when she tucked some hair behind her ears.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "I know I look like crap, but isn't that a bit much?"

Legolas shook his head. "Ithilwen, you look beautiful-"

"If you say so-"

"I mean that, love." He spoke sincerely. "I've always found you breathtaking. I was just alarmed by your ears, that's all."

Wennie frowned. "Oh, yeah. I know, they're not pointed..."

"No, that's not it. They're...red."

"Oh! Yeah, about that...Thranduil seems to think that my human vessel is changing. They did have earrings in them, up the sides," she waved a hand around the general area, "but when the piercings started to hurt I had to take them out. I can't even wear the ear cuffs right now."

"How long have they been this way?"

He watched as her face scrunched up in thought as she counted back. "A couple of weeks I think? Maybe three? I know they started to itch, and then they started to burn, and it's been a rollercoaster of a time since. At first I couldn't lay on either side, but it's gotten better at times. The problem is I just can't predict when it'll flare up again. Believe it or not I'm getting used to it."

Legolas frowned at that. "I hate knowing you're in pain, Ithilwen. I wish I could do something."

"You've done a lot, mister!" she told him. "I'd say you've done more than enough!"

"It isn't to me," he said, continuing as she rolled her eyes in frustration, "You've been by yourself for far too long."

"That's not your fault, Legolas." Wennie looked pointedly at him, leaning forward as she did so. "What happened is past us. We just have to pick up and keep going."

What Wennie didn't realize as she was leaning forward was that the webcam - and Legolas - were getting a generous view of her cleavage. She had been so distracted by his window that she paid no attention to her own viewpoint. Legolas wasn't complaining, obviously. All he had was memories and his dreams up to that point, but he had to say something. His lower half disagreed with his brain, but he had to tell her.

"Speaking of picking up," he began carefully, "you might want to pick up the neckline of your top. As much as I'm enjoying the view I don't feel it's right to not bring this up." 'Even if something else is being brought up,' he thought. Jeez, was the dry spell really that bad?

Wennie once again blushed so furiously that the tint began across her chest and moved up as she sat up straighter. "I don't believe this," she muttered in embarrassment. "The first time we chat on webcam and I give you a peep show without realizing it."

"I'm not complaining," Legolas said with a cheeky smile.

"Of course you're not!" Wennie found herself laughing despite the embarrassment.

"If you want I can wear a low cut top and recreate for you what I saw."

Wennie laughed harder as Legolas bent forward in a mocking pose of how she had been sitting, pretending to press together breasts he didn't possess. It was not how she envisioned this night going, but she was all the more pleased. A crappy day a work had left her thinking that the night would be dull, but Legolas' gift and his way of cheering her up had made the end of the day all the more sweeter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ♫ Six more days 'til Halloween,  
> Halloween, Halloween.  
> Six more days 'til Halloween,  
> Silver Shamrock ♫

'Why do Mondays even exist?' Wennie thought to herself bitterly as she gathered her books and shoved them into her bag. She, as about a hundred other students, were sitting in the small auditorium for their American History lecture to begin. After five minutes of not seeing the instructor enter, some wondered if he had simply forgotten the time. After ten minutes some contemplated walking out after the allotted wait time before classes were 'unofficially' canceled due to absence. Two minutes after that, one of the late students alerted the class that the instructor was out sick. The sign announcing this had been taped on the door - however some dumbass had taped it to the side that was hidden when the door was propped open.

Time wasted waiting for a lecture to start that was postponed had her in a bad mood, but the cloudy weather that had moved to drizzle as she left campus had turned to a full out rain storm on her way to work. While she was on her bike. The weather report that morning had called for "spotty chances of showers in the area, but nothing excessive".

As Wennie stood in the back bathroom of Cogs and Coins trying to dry herself with stiff paper towels, she contemplated feigning sickness just to go punch that meteorologist right in the mouth.

If her mood had been foul because of the weather, then the customers that day shared the same sentiments. Even some of the sweetest regulars that looked on the bright side of any bad situation had already had enough of the gloomy atmosphere. Try as she might to hide her feelings, Wennie couldn't help but agree with them. A calm rainy day was one thing. What they were getting looked like the apocalypse was about to occur.

Sucky moods all around, it wasn't the worst news of the day. Wennie had learned from Gene who had been told by Olivia that Julia had called her house the day before in tears. As she learned, Rick had laid off Julia because of her inability to come back to work when her doctor first determined. A formal letter was even sent to Rick by the doctor explaining that her fractures were not mending like he expected, and given her position as a waitress, he felt that she should not risk further injuring herself.

So Rick called Julia and told her not to bother coming in even after she got better, telling her he had too many things going on to worry about an old woman being absent, and that he could easily replace her.

* * *

On Tuesday Rick had made good on his work in replacing Julia with two new waitresses. Both had platinum white blond hair, near-orange tans, and nothing between the ears. Wennie couldn't help but compare them to two baked potatoes that had been squeezed from the bottom for photogenic purposes only; interesting to look at at first, but impractical when you really thought about it.

When she shared this over dinner with her coworkers, Gene had nearly wet himself.

"Do you even think they knew he was yelling at them?" he asked, wiping tears from his eyes.

Amber shrugged. "Probably not," she told him. "I'm not trying to be mean, but I have to wonder how they function on their own sometimes."

Wennie silently agreed, thinking back on hours before at the restaurant. Rick had once again berated them in the main area during the busy hours when families came in to eat. One of them had spilled dirty dishes from their table because she had dodged to avoid hitting a customer who hadn't seen her until it was too late, and the other hadn't been "busing tables fast enough" for his liking. She felt for them, having been on the receiving end of that temper many times during such times.

"What are we gonna do?" Olivia asked, balling up her napkin in frustration. "I really like working at Cogs and Coins, but doesn't this kind of borderline harassment?"

Beside her, her husband Leanard made his point. "There's no if about it, babe. What this guy is doing _is_ harassing you girls-" Gene cleared his throat then. "-And guys," he amended. "You need to report him to Victor if you can." He had been to eat during his wife's working hours and had seen how this new boss had treated his employees, and it had taken all his will not to go pummel him to soup. Leanard had seen how hard his wife and her friends had worked, and having worked in the food service industry years before, knew how stressful the job could be without a pedal-pushing newbie boss breathing down one's neck.

"There's nothing we can do," Amber cut in. "Not if we want to keep our jobs. Look at how quick he was to fire Julia, and she had a doctor's note saying she physically wasn't ready to get back on her feet yet!"

Bernard looked around the table at the frustrated employees. The rain hadn't let up when Wennie's shift was over, so he had come to pick her up at the restaurant, and they had invited him to come with them to dinner. His cousin looked conflicted throughout dinner, and he briefly wondered if she had ever told Legolas about how her work environment had changed. Most likely not, given her stubborn attitude, because the ellon knew that if her mate had any inkling of what kind of treatment she had received by Rick, the new manager would mysteriously "disappear". "This leave you guys in a bind, then."

"Yeah," Wennie said. "I love working there, but it's just...I don't like how it's changed since Terry left. I've lost track of how many times he's berated me and threatened my job because he claimed I was 'back talking a superior' since he arrived!"

"Who the hell does this guy think he is, a king?" Leanard asked, not liking this at all. His wife had mentioned something similar happening after hours, and then it was much worse than what the customers ever witnessed. "Has he physically assaulted any of you?"

Those that worked at Cogs and Coins shook their head. "Nope," Amber said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He seems to think that us girls are inferior in every meaning of the word."

"At least you don't have to deal the homophobic insults," Gene told her. "He doesn't even know I'm gay!"

"What do you do?" Bernard asked him.

"Grin and nod like a jackass," Gene snorted into his drink. "He already dislikes me cause I'm a cook - women's work, he calls it. No way in hell I'm telling him I'm gay. Will's already mad that I came home with a bloody lip because I bit down on it so hard before the end of my shift the other day. He says I shouldn't put up with this bullshit."

"And you shouldn't." Bernard agreed with Gene's partner on this.

"I'd say file a complaint, but that idea's already been busted," Leanard thought aloud. "If - and I hope to God this never happens - Rick ever lays a hand on any one of you, report it to the police. While they're handling the reports, tell Victor. It'll give him some evidence against Rick. And if Victor doesn't fire him...just walk."

"Walk?" Wennie asked.

"Yeah, just walk out on him. Even if you're in the middle of your shift and have four tables to wait on. Any of the regular customers would understand your position, so don't worry about them." Leanard leaned back in his chair. "Personally I think a massive walk-out would really show Rick the Dick to not shit on his support team."

Amber looked like she considered the idea as more than just talk. "That would be good," she mused, "but I'd want to make sure I have a contingency plan in place."

Of that everyone agreed. Wennie, however much she wanted to just not come in the next day, knew that she had no backup plans to speak of. Cogs and Coins was her support. It paid her bills, kept her fed, and paid for her school things. Although Galion continued to stock her cabinets with food when she wasn't looking, and Legolas had paid off her massive bill, she still held onto her job. The paycheck that kept her in her apartment was her sign of independence, a sign that she could make it on her own, even if it wasn't in top-notch conditions.

But what was it that Mandos had told her? That she should begin to break ties with her mortal connections if she wished to embrace her true identity? Was this one of the challenges she faced?

* * *

"What day is it?"

"It's Wednesday," Morwen said into the little camera attached to her computer. "You should really get a calendar, Naneth. There are all kinds now, from cute kittens to half-naked firefighters-"

"We have no need for such things," Celeborn's face entered the screen suddenly.

"You may not," Galadriel told her husband teasingly as she pushed him into the seat beside her.

At the forefront of the technology boom, when wireless connections had gotten stronger over great distances, Morwen had insisted that her parents get connected to the internet to better stay in contact. Her intentions were good; with the clearer signals and convenience of the internet, they could remain within seclusion of the Gray Havens until they chose to join them in Scotland. As it stood, what remained of the Gray Havens was a chunk of land that had separated from the coast over time, and it appeared in view a few times every seven years. Whomever chose to sail to the island would do so at night, taking items to the Lord and Lady.

Morwen had heard the mortals complain and joke about their parents and grandparents being introduced to computers and the internet, writing it off as an exaggeration. It wasn't until she had gotten her parents online that she knew the horrors were real. Galadriel handled the new influx of information better than Celeborn did, who did not hesitate to complain about the stupidest pieces of news he came across on the internet. Honestly, she expected her brother-in-law to be more likely to gripe about mortal lore.

"Where is Haldir?" Her mother asked, changing topics.

The younger elleth gestured behind her. "He's making breakfast this morning."

"Frozen waffles again?"

Haldir, having heard his mother-in-law's comment, shouted from the kitchen, "I'm frying sausage and hashbrowns as well!"

Morwen dissolved into laughter at the desk. She had heard him banging around in the kitchen momentarily, before he appeared with two plates of waffles, browned sausage links and shredded potatoes. He was a fine cook and did rather well with modern foods. She just liked to tease him because the first time he used a waffle iron to make homemade waffles, it had overflowed so much that he swore he'd only buy frozen.

"How are you both this morning?" Haldir asked, sitting beside his mate after offering her a plate.

"Very well, Haldir." Galadriel smiled. "Have you spoken with Legolas recently?"

"I spoke to him the other day," the former marchwarden said. "He told me that Fiona, Melda, and Silima had flown to San Francisco to visit with Ithilwen."

"He wasn't happy," Morwen added.

"I can't imagine why," Celeborn said sarcastically. "Everyone in the family is going to visit his mate but him. His own adar is living right across the hall from her, but he is forced to remain in Scotland."

"You sound like Legolas," Galadriel told him.

"We have spoken a few times alone," he replied, seeing the surprised look on her face. "What? Does this not seem plausible?"

"Of course not," she replied. "I'm just surprised you know how to turn the computer on!"

"I'm not incompetent melleth-"

"I know you're not, Celeborn, I'm only teasing!" Galadriel had tried not to laugh as she heard her husband mentally swear a mile a minute, but it was difficult. Instead, she turned to face the computer once more. "Perhaps it would be in your best interests to contact Ithilwen as well."

Morwen's smile dropped to a frown. "As much as I want to, Naneth, I'm afraid she won't remember us."

"Legolas said that the girls had spoken to Ithilwen about us," Haldir reminded her.

"See there? Ithilwen knows about the two of you," Galadriel tried to persuade her daughter. "You should visit her."

Celeborn came out of his brooding long enough to add, "Might I suggest you visit before she comes to Scotland? Legolas has told me that he wished he could keep her to himself for a time when she comes to him."

"And how will that go over, Adar?" Like Morwen didn't know the answer already.

"I told him that he'd have the rest of the family to deal with, but he sounded rather determined to fight the lot of us off if it came to it."

* * *

Thursday was stressful for Legolas.

Not that any other day wasn't stressful for the prince. His mate had finally been located, but he couldn't go to her. The best he got recently was a live chat stream over the computer, and before that it was just hearing her voice over the phone. The long period of celibacy was doing nothing to help either, because it was one thing to not know where she was, but all Legolas had to do was get on a plane and...

Nope. Couldn't think like that. He was not the hormonal youngling he had been so long ago. He was more a vibrating nerve now that could lose it's common sense at any time. But it would be so easy for him to fly over to Ithilwen and-

"Uncle Legolas!" a small voice cried out in excitement! "Look at this!"

Legolas shook himself slightly before turning to see Baineth hold up a large bagged costume. The way she was holding it was keeping him from deciphering what exactly it was, until she held the bag out eagerly for him to look over. Legolas studied the label; it was a My Little Pony costume apparently, though why brightly colored ponies were appealing was beyond him.

"Is this the one you want?" he asked his niece.

"Yes, please Uncle, can I get it?"

"If this is the costume you want, then yes-"

"Baineth!" Gwend and Melui came running up to them. "They've got Monster High costumes!"

The tiny redhead seemed conflicted as she looked between them and the My Little Pony costume that Legolas still held. He could tell she was already wanting to change her mind. "If you would rather get something else, make sure you put this back where you got it-"

Baineth squealed and hugged Legolas about the waist, thanking him before running off with her cousins, forgetting to take the costume with her. Legolas sighed, looking down at the pony costume and wondering where the hell it was supposed to go. The boys had been easy to shop for. They wanted to be Ninja Turtles. The only argument there was which color which ellon had wanted. But the ellith...Valar help him it was going to be a long trip in the costume shop.

He made a mental note to himself to try and get in touch with Ithilwen later that day. Legolas knew just seeing her face on the computer screen would be enough to make up for indecisive younglings.

* * *

Back in California, Wennie was also thinking about Legolas. She had been so busy in the past week that she had only been able to afford him a phone call at night, when she had a perfectly good piece of camera equipment going to waste that he had given her. 'I need to video chat with Legolas again,' she thought, the idea sending a wave of excitement though her that she desperately tried to ignore. 'Of course I have to get away from the peanut gallery to do it...'

She was in the coffee shop once again, though instead of sitting at a small table out on the floor she had been backed into a corner of one of the booth tables. Literally. Bernard was sitting across from her, Thia was wedge between him and Jack, and Esther was to her left, blocking off her exit route. For some strange reason this tactic was their idea of asking her to attend a Halloween party on campus.

"Please, you have to go, Wennie!" Thia tried pouting when the pleading tone in her voice didn't work.

"You have to go with me, Wen," Bernard said, "Jack and Esther are going too!"

"So is Thia-"

"It won't be the same without you!" Esther cut her off. "You and Bernard are some of the coolest people Jack and I know-"

"You might want to reevaluate your definition then-"

"Hey." Jack rapped the brim of his uniform hat on the table like a staff. "Listen to my girl, here. She knows what she's talking about." He then paused for effect. "I mean, she _is_ engaged to me after all!"

Esther stared at Jack briefly before turning back to Wennie. "You're probably right-"

"Hey!" Jack protested.

"-but my point still stands," she continued on. "You two helped all three of us when we first started college, and it's your last year. This'll be the last time you get to go to a college Halloween party as a college student! Unless, you know, you enroll in school again, but whatever. You have to go with us."

"I don't think I have a cost-"

"We'll help you pick one out!" Esther and Thia said at once, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

Wennie pursed her lips and sighed. She had hoped to spend the evening at home watching horror movies while she waited for trick or treaters. 'Or spend the night talking to Legolas,' her brain offered. "Would it make you guys happy if I came and stayed for a little while?"

"Yes!" the other four nodded.

* * *

"You look tired, Ithilwen-mine."

"You're one to talk," Wennie smiled. "Did you have a busy day at the office?"

She could see Legolas lean back in his chair through the webcam window on her screen. "I only wish, but alas, my plight was much worse than a council of associates who all think their methods are the only right ones."

Wennie leaned forward slightly. "What was it?"

"I made the mistake of being the last left in the room and ended up taking five younglings to buy costumes for trick-or-treating." As if on cue, said five young elves burst into the room and instantly swarmed the prince in his chair.

"Uncle Legolas, whatcha doing?"

"Will you read us a story before bed?"

"I'm sleepy..."

"Is it Halloween yet?"

From her end of the conversation, Wennie could only decipher from their size that these elflings were about the size of 7-or 8-year olds, but it was hard to tell from their backs. Still, it was worth the interruption in their talk to see them climb all over Legolas, who had resigned himself to being their jungle gym once more.

"Who're you talking to?"

"Yeah, who's that?"

These questions made Wennie freeze in her seat. Was she supposed to answer? What would she tell them? Legolas knew what to say, much to her relief.

"She is my wife," he said proudly, nudging those in his lap to face the computer's camera. "This is Ithilwen."

Wennie wasn't sure she liked being scrutinized by five younglings, who seemed to sober up enough to eye her like a hawk. "Hello," she offered, waving her hand lightly at them.

"She's pretty," the little golden haired elleth said.

"I like her hair," the raven-haired elleth added. "She's like one of my Monster High dolls!"

Legolas laughed out loud. "I think you meet their approval, Ithilwen!" Once he composed himself, he introduced them. "This is Melui," he told her, nodding to the golden-haired elleth. "She is Glorfindel and Silima's daughter. Fiona and Elladan's daughter is Gwend," he continued, referring to the raven-haired elleth beside Gwend. "Elrohir and my sister Tauriel have the twins, Ernil and Innion, and their youngest is Baineth." Baineth stood apart from her brothers in looks, having a dark red shade of hair compared to their dark brown locks.

"It's nice to meet you," Wennie told them with all sincerity. In having her cousins visit for two weeks, she had come to learn about their children some, but she had been apprehensive about meeting them in person. Children have a habit of quickly deciding who they do and do not like, and she was afraid that she'd make a bad impression on them. Worse yet, she felt bad about not being there for the births like she assumed the rest of her family was. 'Legolas has been around them since they were babies...' Wennie remembered Thranduil telling her that they were discussing starting a family of their own before the accident. 'Gods, how much else have I missed by not being there? And how has Legolas been able to stand not having any of his own?'

"I know what you're thinking, Ithilwen."

Legolas' words brought her out of her daze. "What?"

"It's not you're fault."

"But-"

"What's not her fault?" Innion asked.

Before Legolas could reply, Wennie answered. "I had an accident." She kept it simple. "I had to go away for a long time to recover from it, and I feel guilty because it's taken so long."

"Are you better now?" Ernil studied her, getting rather close to the camera and not only blocking everyone else from her view, but distorting his own face.

"I..." Wennie paused. What could she say? "I'm...doing a lot better than I was earlier this year," she said finally. "Being able to talk to Legolas finally has helped me more than I realized," she smiled.

Ernil seemed satisfied with this answer and moved back to stand by Legolas' chair. "Good, because Uncle Legolas gets sad too often," he said firmly. Legolas actually looked horrified by the blunt answer, as if he didn't want Wennie to know how much her absence affected him.

Wennie sat up straighter then, and crossed her arms. "Well that's not good," she told him. "What should we do about that?"

"Come visit!" Melui said excitedly, not noticing her uncle's face go four shades paler at the same time.

"I wish I could," Wennie pouted for their benefit, "but I'm in the middle of a school semester and I can't miss the days or my grades will be in trouble. Legolas has told me before that school is a priority, so I'll have to think of something else." She tapped her chin and looked around the room as she thought. "Oh, I know of something that I can do!"

"What?" the twins asked.

"It's a surprise!" she told them matter-of-factly. "I'll need the address of where you guys live though. Can I get it?"

Gwend, still sitting on Legolas' knee, stretched across the desk and retrieved a small business card. "This is it," she said, holding it up to the camera.

Wennie had to wait for the screen to come into focus before she could scribble down the address on a scrap piece of chemistry notes. "Thank you, Gwend," she told the elleth sweetly. "I'm going to try and send my surprise out in the next day or two."

Legolas managed to peek around Gwend's head to look at the computer screen. "Baineth just asked me an important question, Ithilwen."

"And what's that?"

"She would like to know what she can call you by."

Baineth looked a little shy then, ironic given the behavior of her parents, Wennie had learned. She was also the youngest of the five, so that might have contributed as well. Wennie also knew this was a loaded question. Depending on how she answered, it could help or hinder her development.

"Well," she began, "If you want to, you can call me 'Aunt Ithilwen', or even 'Aunt Wennie', since it's my mortal name. Or you can just call me by whichever name you like; it's your choice."

He could see from the way his mate fidgeted in the screen that she was caught off guard by Baineth's request. The fact that she acknowledged her elven name gave Legolas hope about the future, but more importantly, she gave them options. She didn't know them, and they most certainly didn't know her; it only made sense to work within their comfort zones temporarily.

The little redhead in his lap decided to speak for herself. "I like Aunt Ithilwen," she declared, making the elleth on the screen smile at last. "Has Uncle Legolas told you that he's taking us trick-or-treating this Halloween?"

Wennie's expression turned to interest. "Did he, now? Do they celebrate Halloween out there like they do here in America?"

"I was tricked into it," Legolas said dramatically. "And the approach in the nearest neighborhood is more traditional than commercial. Treats are given out and games are offered, but the decorations are more natural and less plastic."

"Sounds a lot better than what they have here."

Innil propped his arms on the desk edge and leaned into it. "What will you be doing for Halloween, Aunt Ithilwen?"

"I'll be giving out candy, and then later I'm being dragged to a party on campus by Bernard and some friends."

Legolas frowned at the sour expression she held. "You do not wish to go?"

Wennie shrugged. "College parties haven't really been my kind of thing, but I'm being bullied into it under the guise that it's my last year and I'll regret it if I don't go."

"Try to enjoy yourself at least?" Legolas asked her.

"Only if you enjoy yourself," she replied.

"I will," he said begrudgingly. "I will enjoy the feeling of the blood in my limbs all the more if the lot of you will get up." He loved those kids to bits, but his legs had gone numb. Once all of them had been unloaded from his person, Legolas nudged them on to the doorway. "It's getting late, and if you intend on trick-or-treating you need to sleep!"

Wennie watched and waved to the five little elves that fled the room in a hurry. "Shouldn't you be going to bed as well then?"

Legolas stretched slowly in the chair. "I'd like to, but I fear my bed has been rather short on company as of late. I miss having a warm body to hold on these colder nights."

"Have you considered a body pillow?" she asked cheekily.

"A body pillow couldn't do what you could do for me," he responded.

"I'm sorry I can't reach that far," Wennie said seriously. "To be fair I can't even see that far, so I wouldn't know where to look!"

"Well you know it's like pouring a drink. Just keep going and don't stop until I say when."

"I still don't have that long a reach."

"That's alright love," Legolas grinned. "I think I'd more than make up the difference."

Wennie snorted. "You are impossible. And a bit of a perv."

* * *

On Friday Thranduil walked into Wennie's apartment and did a double-take at the surroundings. Sitting in the chair closest to him was a sign that read, "Witchy Wennie will be at Cogs and Coins on Halloween giving out goodie bags to all costumed kids". Behind it sat a similar sign that must have been for the restaurant itself, announcing the same thing. Thranduil looked around at the state of the apartment - on just about every inch of flat surface sat some type of candy, toy, party favor, plastic bag, and other assorted things that children went nuts over.

Wennie happened to come in from the kitchen and caught him eyeing the scene warily. "Good morning Thranduil," she greeted, setting down another large bowl of candy. "What can I do for you?"

"...An explanation would be welcomed."

"Oh! Right, sorry." Wennie scratched her head and made some space for the former king to sit down. "This is something I've done every year since I moved into the apartment," she explained. "I take my tip money from the months of September and October and buy candy for the trick-or-treaters, but after Halloween I pick up all sorts of little doodads that look interesting or fun for the next year's haul. Some of these things are a few years old and they don't make them anymore, but that makes it more fun for the kids I think."

Thranduil was surprised by this. For someone who had done without so much that many would take for granted, she would willingly seek to make gift bags for a holiday tradition that she was not obligated to take part in. "I know I shouldn't be surprised," he said softly, "but I can only imagine you would have done something similar if our kind had an equivalent day to Halloween."

Wennie laughed. "Yeah, I bet I would." She motioned to the coffee table. "Do you want to help make bags?"

"I was originally looking for Galion-"

"Bathroom break." Wennie pointed behind Thranduil to direct his gaze to the ellon coming up the hall.

"That explains a lot," Thranduil noted, nodding to his friend before he sat down beside Ithilwen once more. "What should I do?" he asked, looking to her for direction. He didn't have anything pressing to attend to, and his excuse for location Galion had been more about checking on her without blatantly checking on her.

"It's real simple. All you have to do is pick an assortment of candy and toys to go in a bag, then you twist-tie it closed and set it in one of the tubs on the floor. I try to fit in five to six pieces of candy and three or four toys, but it really depends on size.

Galion had passed by the couch and hid a smile as Wennie gave Thranduil instructions on making trick-or-treat bags. As he poured up three drinks he could have sworn his friend gave him a dirty look that dared him to comment, but he chose to ignore it. The elleth may not have known it, but she had the Woodland king wrapped around her finger already.

* * *

"What are your plans for today, Ithilwen?"

Legolas was left staring into an empty room through her webcam, as Wennie was currently in the bathroom blow drying her remaining damp strands of hair. She had brought the laptop into what appeared to be her bedroom, from what he could tell, though there was little personalization to really show it as hers. From the angle of the camera lens he thought he detected the photo that Thranduil had given her on the bedside table, a gesture that told him Wennie wasn't digging her heels into the whole marriage thing as much as she claimed.

"I've got to work from opening to three-thirty," she shouted from the bathroom. The sound of the hair dryer clicked off and moments later she appeared before her computer and perched on the edge of the bed. "After that I have to run back here and change clothes because Jack and Esther want me and Bernard to come with them when they take their neighbors' kids trick-or-treating. When we get them back home is when we'll be going to that party at the college." She pulled a face. "I don't really want to do that."

"If I were there you wouldn't have to."

"How do you mean?"

"You would be lucky if you wore that robe if I were there," he grinned wolfishly. "No disturbances and no tricks, but a guaranteed night long of treats."

Wennie laughed as she stood and crossed the room to her closet. Legolas lost sight of her, but he did see the discarded robe fly into the view and land on the bed. "Are you sure it would last an entire night?" she teased. "The way you've been talking lately sounds like you'd do good to last being in the same room as me!"

"Do you doubt my endurance, love?"

She hobbled on her feet as she tried to pull her pants on without toppling over into the camera view. Perhaps web chatting while she got dressed wasn't her brightest idea. "I don't remember your endurance, if you'll recall," she began, righting herself. "What I know is what I've heard other women speak of."

"The elven body is capable of lasting longer than you think in many things," he said suggestively. "When we are together again you will see."

"When?" Wennie's head peeked into view of the camera with a raised brow. "What happened to 'let's see what'll happen'?"

"I figure it is only a matter of time, love. You have let me into your bedroom."

"You're on a webcam and it's to talk," she snorted.

"At this point I am going to take whatever you give me, Ithilwen," he grinned.

Wennie paused in the middle of adjusting her corset. "Legolas..." she began slowly. "When we do...meet in person...you're not going to be mad at me if we don't...y'know...immediately or anything, are you?" Flirting on the phone or on chat was one thing, but even if she got her memories back all at once she didn't think she could make such a jump, married to him or not.

"Ithilwen, love, I will wait however long it takes," he told her immediately. "You have nothing to fear from me-"

"I don't- I mean- I'm not afraid or anything," she tried to explain, "I just...I don't know. When you've worked with a lot of women over a number of years, you hear things, and while these things don't apply to everybody, you still can't help but wonder. Does that make sense?" Wennie tossed the bolero she picked out on the edge of the bed and carried her boots over to join it. After sitting once more, she bent over to pull her socks on.

"Of course it does." Legolas had turned away from the screen to look for his cup of coffee on the desk, only to turn back and nearly drop the hot liquid in his lap. "Fuck me," he breathed, catching sight of his mate bending forward as he turned back. Legolas not only got a glimpse of her work uniform, but he got more than an eyeful of cleavage this time around. He knew it wasn't intentional on her part, but try telling that to the sudden rush of blood to his loins.

"What?" Wennie's head shot up and looked around, tossing the untamed hair in her vision. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Legolas murmured, setting his mug down with a shaky hand. Suddenly he was very glad that he had brought his computer to the desk in his bedroom, because he couldn't very well explain why he was scooched in so far under the desk. He knew she couldn't see the...evidence...but it wouldn't have helped his argument that all men weren't hounds.

"Are you...blushing?"

"What on earth gave you that idea?"

Wennie sat up straighter after adjusting her other sock. "You don't look comfortable."

"Nonsense," he tried laughing it off.

"Really. Then why's your hand shaking?"

Legolas gripped the mug with two hands then, preventing it from sloshing coffee all over the desk. "Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"It is not!"

"It is too!" Wennie laughed. "So just tell me what's got you so nervous!"

He took a sip of the coffee and set the mug down slowly. "You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Legolas rested his chin in the palm of his hand and mumbled. Wennie couldn't hear him.

"What was that?"

"You've got me harder than Calculus for a simpleton!" he groaned. There, he said it. She couldn't take back her desire to know now. He watched Wennie's reaction for any sign of revulsion, but was instead greeted with confusion, followed by a light blush. Then she glanced down and saw what he saw and blushed further, reaching from the top edge of her corset to her ears. Legolas had to admit that he liked seeing her blush, even at the expense of his own embarrassment.

Wennie felt suddenly exposed when she considered how much she had shown him on accident. 'Gotta remember we're married,' she thought to herself. 'He's seen more than that.' Unfortunately, it was this last thought that had her blushing so furiously. 'Come on, girl - say something!' her brain begged, 'Say anything! He looks about as embarrassed about this as you must!'

Legolas was growing worried with each passing moment that Wennie didn't speak, thinking he had gone past her level of comfort. The blush had begun to recede, but the expression on her face reminded him much of the way they both were on their wedding night.

"Well," she began, clearing her throat, "I suppose you're going to want to take a cold shower then?" It was a weak attempt at humor.

"I'm not sure a dive in the Artic would cool me down," he laughed, visibly shifting in his seat to get comfortable. "Care to give me a hand, love?"

Wennie felt her cheeks warm at the suggestion, and she bit her lip, glancing shyly at Legolas from under her lashes. But then, that look of shyness was replaced by a smirk as she held her hands out before her and clapped.

The look on Legolas' face was priceless. "Just you wait, Ithilwen. I'm gonna get you for that."

* * *

Rick had not been happy to see Wennie arrive that morning with Bernard in tow, carrying in large containers of the trick-or-treat bags she, Thranduil, and Galion had put together. Thankfully for her, Victor also happened to be there for the duration of the day, which meant two things for the elleth: one, she could give out the candy like she always had when she was required to work on Halloween, and two, Rick couldn't do a damned thing about it without Victor climbing him. It was a big perk when the owner of the restaurant enjoyed Halloween as much as a child. Wennie was ecstatic to see Victor adjusting the various decorations around the floor when she and Bernard entered with the containers. She always enjoyed the holiday, and had dreaded how Rick would ruin it for her when she learned she was working, but Victor's presence also meant that Rick was the one walking on eggshells this time around.

Wennie would have called herself a liar if she said that she didn't enjoy watching him sweat that day.

All through her shift, kids had filed into the restaurant in a multitude of costumes. Some had even wandered in with embarrassed parents following, apologizing for bothering the employees. Wennie and the other waitresses enjoyed seeing the kids come to collect the bags; it was what they were there for, after all. Victor had taken the sign Wennie had made for the table and actually set it outside the front doors, which only brought more attention to the business. Olivia had whispered to Wennie that Rick was complaining that the rush was only because of the candy bags, which wasn't true. Many of the visitors to Cogs and Coins that came with children also stayed to have an early meal before taking the young ones trick or treating.

Bernard had drifted between the restaurant and the coffee shop, visiting Thia, Jack, and Esther during the worker's shifts. The younger three had gotten off work sooner than Wennie, who seemed more interested in hanging out after her shift had ended to continue giving out candy. Two bins were nearly emptied when Bernard drug her back to her apartment, and she made it a point to tell anyone that would listen to give out all the bags. The wave of little kids would thin, and there were enough left over that could go to whomever came in in a costume and wanted one.

* * *

In Scotland, Legolas felt like taking five younglings trick or treating on Halloween require the use of a multi-strand leash. The village that resided below their residence had once again pulled out all the stops on making the holiday as enjoyable as possible, and with it, the temptation for young elves to run amok. The prince had nothing to worry about this night, however. The community prided itself in looking out for its own, and that included the inhabitants of the old stone castle that sat in the distance.

Jack-o-lanterns were carved and fitted with fat pillar candles to light up the night sky on the porches of gift-givers. Decorations were built of natural materials where possible; there were no inflatable, badly-lit cauldrons here. Here, they were built of cast iron, illuminated with glow sticks and foaming with dry ice.

Aside from the adults gifting the children of the area with candies and toys, warmed foods were also prepared for anyone to sample. Some prepared gallons of cider, others offered small bowls of vegetable and beef stew or various kinds of soup. Some even baked sweet and russet potatoes out in their fire pits. Games were set up at some houses, allowing for the smallest kids unable to go door to door on their own to participate. One house offered neon glow necklaces to any children that wished for one, so that their parents and other adults could keep track of them.

Having exceptional eyesight, Legolas wasn't worried about this, but he wouldn't begrudge his nieces and nephews if they wanted to look like mini ravers asking for candy. He let them walk ahead with the other children, never staying far behind but allowing them some independence. Occasionally he'd be asked to hold one of their bags or props, which made for interesting accessories when paired with his own "costume" - an old jerkin tunic and leggings from his days patrolling the forests. Tauriel had jokingly suggested that he wear his formal attire for the occasion, since he was the "head" of the castle at present. At least, he hoped she was joking. There was far too much wind to wear a kilt properly this night, no matter how long it was.

"You look withdrawn this night, lad." An old voice called to Legolas. "What ails you?"

He turned, seeing a small old woman sitting at a cloth-covered table. Palmistry readings, her sign read. She looked too fragile to be outside in the cool air, in his opinion, but she smiled on at him as if the weather were bright and sunny.

"I am fine," he told her. "Simply lost in thought."

"Are you now?" she asked. "Do you need some guidance in life? Work endeavors, perhaps, or is it matters of the heart?"

Legolas' eyes widened slightly. He could see from where he stood that she was near-blind, so it was impossible for her to read his body language.

The old woman seemed to pick up on his surprise and laugh. "My my, I think I surprised you. Come over here and sit, and I will see if I can pinpoint what occupies your thoughts." When he didn't move, she added, "The young ones are safe, as always. They are too engrossed in their baked potatoes to wander off."

Knowing he didn't have a viable excuse not to, Legolas walked to the old woman's table and took the seat across from her. The woman held out her hands gesturing to offer her his. Once she had a firm grip within her bony ones, she began to mutter what sounded like nonsense under her breath. Legolas wasn't sure if she was the real deal or not, knowing that many 'sixth sense' types simply preyed on the desperate and hopefuls that paid for what they wanted to hear, and not the truth. He didn't doubt the existence of true mediums, but he was more on the skeptical side to be safe.

"You are an old soul," she said aloud. Her eyes were downcast as if she were reading something from the tabletop. "You were raised under unique living arrangements, but your parents gave you and your sister a life of love."

Legolas' eyes widened a little more. Had she known who he was beforehand? She couldn't physically see him that well, but he couldn't help but wonder if someone had told her about him.

"When you came of age, you did not follow the same paths that many of your kin took," she continued. "You broke away from the traditions for a time. Whether it was to find yourself or to wait for the one who would steal your heart is a truth only you know, but the real truth of the matter is the one whom stole your heart _was_ finding yourself. She is your light, your other half, and she is waiting."

Somehow, this old woman had been on point in her reading. Growing up in a darkening Greenwood would have been damaging to a young ellon without the love of his parents to remind him of the good. He didn't seek to marry like many elves after reaching majority, not taking an interest in anyone until Ithilwen. He had made excuses to his parents for the longest time, when really he was just lying to himself. Somehow, on that fated day, he knew when he saw her that excuses were over.

"Waiting?" Legolas asked, confused by her last words.

The old woman nodded. "Yes," she answered. "The young woman is waiting for you. Her heart sings to be with yours again."

"Should I go to her?" At this point Legolas wouldn't be against kidnapping the younglings and going to San Francisco to get to his mate. And having a few extra hours to trick-or-treat wouldn't be a negative in their minds either.

"Nay," she shook her head, and Legolas felt sinking disappointment. "Don't look so down, boy! She will come to you!"

"How can you be sure of that? I am not sure she wishes to meet me." This was a recurring thought that kept him up many nights. Perhaps he was being too forward with talks of visiting the other, but it was like she waffled between eagerness and timidness on the subject.

"Your young lass' heart is conflicted. She desires to be with you, but she is afraid."

"Why?"

"Isn't it clear?" The old woman's eyes crinkled as she laughed. "She fears that which she does not remember yet! Give her time to mull her thoughts, and she will seek you. Do not rush her, or she could flee and set your both back further. Your lass has many changes she is trying to come to terms with, and any pressures will press her to hide. Does this make sense to you?"

Legolas nodded. "It does." It would have to. It had been the same advice everyone in the castle had been giving him since his adar had called him that day. Hearing it come from an old woman that knew nothing of his personal life before that night only made it clearer.

"Good." The woman patted his hands in a motherly gesture. "Stay in good health, laddie. You are a good boy and deserve a life of happiness. Now run along so that your young kin can have their night of fun."

As Legolas stood, he felt in his pocket and extracted a folded wad of bills secured by a band. Taking one of the woman's hands gently, he set the money in her palm, closing it with her other hand. "Thank you, my lady. May you enjoy this night and keep in good health as well." Before she could protest the generous offering, he had collected his five younglings and continued on.

* * *

"I find myself questioning why we are going along with this ruse," Thranduil droned as the car shut off.

Wennie looked around the seat at him. "I'm surprised you agreed to come. I didn't think you'd want to."

"My interests in attending a mortal campus party are about as high as yours, penneth."

"Then why did you take up Jack and Esther's offer?" Bernard looked at him sideways from the driver's seat.

"Because my daughter chose to attend," he put simply. "While I trust your guardianship, Bernard, I would not feel at ease if it had just been the two of you tonight."

Wennie fought with her skirts as she got out of the car. "Just do me a favor and don't mention anything about me being your daughter-in-law to anyone, okay? It's not something I want to try and explain to any drunk classmates."

"They would just think you got married in Las Vegas," Galion quipped from the other side of the car. "I understand this is commonplace behavior nowadays."

Thranduil was about to comment, but he could only stare on in mild concern as a boxer-clad young man wearing a giant rubber horse mask walked arm-in-arm with another person clad in vibrant greens, golds, furs, and an enormous horned headdress. Wennie had waved to the horse-man and greeted him by the name of Pete.

Bernard happened to catch the look on the elf king's face and said, "That's actually a common scene on campus. The horse, I mean, not Lady Loki."

"You're joking."

"He's not," Wennie added. "You usually see him around finals week more often. Goes really well with the Paladin that screams 'You shan't pass!' to people who ignore their books in favor of their phones."

"I thought this was supposed to be an esteemed educational establishment," Thranduil wrinkled his nose.

"It is in the brochures," Wennie grinned. "It's not until you enroll and get the experience first-hand that you see that we're crazy as hell." She turned away from him and looked over herself once more in the small side mirror on Bernard's car.

Wennie would have been content wearing one of her work uniforms this night, but Esther and Thia wouldn't agree to it. She still wasn't sure about the choice of costume though, even if she showed more skin wearing her work clothes. Pickings were slim with it being so close to the holiday, which meant the devious pair that suggested the outing had to get crafty. A shorter red wig had been half-colored black with temporary hair dye and styled in low pigtails by Thia. Esther helped add some personalization to the tight pants and cropped corset-style top with fastenings, lacings, and pieces of distressed fabric here and there. Wennie added some of her personal items to the costume, such as the boots, gloves, choker, and makeup. The idea was a play on Harley Quinn's design in the Arkham City video game, but more of a survival mode design instead of the cleaner gothic version.

Bernard had gone with a Jack Skellington costume, and despite the pleads, would not wear the latex mask. Instead, he had painted his face white and let Wennie fix the makeup, much as she had for Galion and Thranduil. The elf adjusted the collar of his jacket and looked at the king, still amazed that he not only agreed to accompany them, but had dressed for the occasion as well. And if weren't for the long hair, he might not have recognized either of them. Thranduil's wide striped suit would have made them look similar if it weren't for his blond hair being styled wildly to go with the decaying Beetlejuice makeup Wennie had used. Galion, on the other hand, had nearly coordinated his costume to match hers, as the Mad Hatter. He strayed from both the animated and real-time movies, using elements of both with extra pieces Wennie had left over from her costume. Bernard thought it was strange that the older ellon had put these costumes together in such a short amount of time, but then again, Galion had always surprised him. 'Probably has to do with Thranduil keeping him on his toes for so long,' he thought.

Shouts from across the parking lot had the four of them turning to see a trio of characters headed towards them. Compared to their dark clothes, these three glowed.

"About time you guys got here!" The one in the long white-blond braid said.

"We're on time," Bernard pointed out.

"Don't mind Jack, B. He's just pouting-"

"I'm not pouting!" Jack protested. "It's these shoes!"

Snorting, Wennie had to ask. "That's you, Jack? Well my, don't you look...darling?"

Jack crossed his arms and pulled a face. "I'll have you know I happen to look gorgeous," he said. "I've been asked for my number by four guys already!"

"Is that something to be proud of?" Galion looked at him uncertainly. The young man, or what sounded like a young man, was wearing a long white-blond wig in a side braid and a trailing, sparkling ice blue dress. Vibrant blue shoes peeked out from beneath the bottom, and faux breasts and smokey eye makeup completed the look. It was then that he recognized the character as the ice princess Elsa. The younglings had nearly driven their grandparents mad with that particular soundtrack.

The third female in the group grinned. She was dressed in a bright red silk sari tripped from head to toe in golds and various gems. "It's the fake breasts," she teased. "Jack doesn't have the hips for the dress though."

"It took Thia and me hours to get him to walk properly in the heels," the first girl said. Esther was dressed in a long white-blue ombre gown with gold brocade trim. Golden sandals adorned her feet, matching the golden laurel headpiece that framed her styled updo. She looked each of them over. "You lot look great!" she smiled, "Not bad for a last-minute decision!"

Wennie frowned slightly. "How come I'm the only one in our group that went sexy this year? I thought this was a group thing?"

"I'm sexy-!"

"Jack I was talking to the actual boobs standing in front of me. You already know you're pretty."

"Well I had gone back to the store to get a shorter version of this dress so I wouldn't trip over it, but all they had left in my size was the long gown," Esther explained. She turned and swatted at her fiance's hands, which were presently poking at the false bust he was sporting. She really thought he would have gotten used to them by now, but it appeared he was just looking for an excuse to play with himself.

"And I get cold too easy right now," Thia told Wennie. "I'm also feeling bloated, or I would have worn my Rocket costume instead. But you look more like you came out of the apocalypse than the stereotypical sexy!"

Shrugging off the excuses, Wennie turned back to her father-in-law and friend. "I'm sure you guys remember meeting them before, but for tonight Thranduil is Beetlejuice and Galion is The Mad Hatter."

"And Bernard is a spoil-sport Jack Skellington," Esther teased as they exchanged greetings and proceeded to join the crowd in the campus courtyard.

"For the last time I look utterly ridiculous in that mask," Bernard ground out. "Now let it go!"

"Don't say that too loud!" Jack hissed. "Someone'll ask me to sing!"

* * *

"What in Eru's name are you wearing?"

Erestor stared at his friend in abject horror from the computer screen. Galion simply removed the hat and brushed back his hair, making it stick out more than it had been. "I'm a very dark Mad Hatter."

"You've got the 'mad' part right," Erestor snorted. "Did you take Thranduil trick-or-treating like that?"

"No, we both accompanied Ithilwen and Bernard to a party at the university campus," he replied. "Thranduil went as Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice. Ithilwen did his makeup and hair."

"Tell me there are pictures."

Galion held up a slim camera and wiggled it in his hand. "Oh, there are plenty," he smiled in delight. He had taken in-progress pictures of the elleth working on the king along with the pictures on campus. The reason had been to preserve memories of the mortals for Wennie, but he knew that if he missed the opportunity Miraear would skin him. "I shall be sending a rather interesting email to Miraear when I get this makeup off; it's beginning to crack I'm afraid."

"I thought that was your face." Erestor never missed an opening, even on the near-other side of the world. "By the way, isn't it still early in California? I thought those mortal parties lasted long into the night."

"They do, and the party is still going on. Bernard has offered to stay and ensure that their mortal friends return home safely. Thranduil and myself brought the princess home."

"She is well?"

Galion nodded. "Ithilwen is fine. She expressed her desire to be back in her apartment after some time at a party she only attended out of kindness for her classmates. I believe she had another reason for wishing to return early..."

* * *

"You're still up?" Wennie was surprised to see that Legolas had waited up. She had logged into the room expecting to find it empty, but instead saw his name in the private room they always talked in.

"I wanted to talk with you before I went to bed. How was your day?"

Wennie leaned back in her seat. "Busy," she sighed. "Work was fun for once. Victor, the owner stayed for the better part of the day, which kept Rick in check. He doesn't care for Halloween, so he wasn't happy when Bernard and I came in with goody bags."

Legolas listened as his mate continued to talk about work and all of the kids costumes she got to see come in and about how her group went to a popular subdivision and cleaned up trick-or-treating after work. He got a kick out of hearing about his adar dressing up, and told her he would have to check with his naneth to see the pictures Galion would send in the morning. He couldn't imagine the former king with distressed hair and a decaying corpse-like appearance. Legolas did have a hell of a time concentrating on what Wennie was saying once she relaxed in her seat. She said her costume was a revised Harley Quinn design, but he could have cared less if she was dressed as Aquaman.

"I'm glad that you were not alone at that party tonight," he said out loud without thinking.

"Huh? Why's that?"

"Because if some mortal had laid so much as a finger on you I would have their skin as a rug in the front entryway."

Wennie cocked her head to the side. "Are we jealous, Legolas?"

"Not at all," he responded quickly. "Just very protective of my mate, is all." He paused. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you leave the party so soon?"

Wennie's cheeks warmed. "Now don't laugh, okay? I left because...I...I...I would rather have spent the night talking to you."

Legolas felt his heart swell. She was warming up to him. This was good. This was what he needed to hear.

* * *

Sunday was the start of November, and at Cogs and Coins, with the passing of Halloween, all bets were off about Christmas talk. Wennie inwardly cringed at the thought of the holidays, mostly because she had a bucket's worth of candy from the last holiday to go through. However, it seemed that even the customers were neglecting the waning pumpkin-spice choices in favor of peppermint everything. Some discussed plans to travel, others talked about having the families come together for the holidays, and some were more concerned with how they would pay for all of the high-dollar gifts coming out.

Wennie wasn't one to go out and buy expensive gifts because the holiday shopping season prompted it. It just didn't seem as personal as homemade foods to her, which was what she usually gave with assorted gift cards. Everyone liked to eat, and on the holidays, everyone liked to eat badly.

In Scotland, Legolas had been swarmed by five little elflings at the dining room table as he cut into a large box from California. When he saw his mate's handwriting, he nearly ripped the top off with his bare hands until Miraear handed him a pair of scissors. Inside the box was a multitude of items, and on the very top sat a handwritten letter.

'Dear Legolas,' it read. 'I hope the kids had a good night of tricks and treats, and while it's a day late, I wanted to give them a treat as well. Enclosed are five treat bags I put together with all kinds of things; I hope they enjoy them. Also, there are some cookies I made, in case you get tired of candy. There's a box of coconut and chocolate chip, a box of peanut butter cookies, and some chocolate crinkle cookies. Hopefully those survived the flight over; I packed them pretty tightly. I also enclosed something just for you, and you'll find it in the flat envelope-'

Legolas plucked the envelope out of the box and tore the seal in a rush, reaching inside and extracting a small stack of photo paper. They were pictures of his mate.

'-I didn't feel right having a picture of you without giving you something in return,' the letter continued. 'So there's a few enclosed; an everyday picture, a couple of me in my work uniform, and one of the Harley Quinn costume I wore, since you didn't get to see it very well last night. I know they're not much, but I hope you like them.'

He couldn't help but grin ear to ear as he looked over the pictures, noting with amusement that she had signed the letter as 'his forgetful mate'. That she hadn't signed it with a term of affection didn't bother him like it should have; after speaking to the old seer the night before, Legolas knew not to push his luck. She would come around in time, and he would be ready and waiting for when she did.

That evening, Legolas had made arrangements for them to have dinner by webchat, though Wennie felt bad that he had to wait even later. "You still could have gotten something to eat before now," she told him.

"But then I would have spoiled my dinner," he grinned.

"Somehow I doubt that," she laughed.

"By the way, the younglings really enjoyed the gift bags you sent them."

Legolas noted that she looked relieved at his words. "I'm so glad," she said. "I was worried they wouldn't like them!"

"It was their first gift from their Aunt Ithilwen, how could they not like them? The cookies were also delicious." He held up one of the chocolate crinkles he stashed on his plate. "I've spent the afternoon teasing your cousins about being the first to try your cookies."

Wennie laughed again. "You're terrible! But," she blushed lightly, "I'm glad you enjoyed them. My coworkers have been secretly talking about Christmas since September, and it made me get in a baking mood."

"You should bake more often," Legolas told her. "These are unbelievably good."

"Well since you enjoyed them so much I suppose I'll have to send another box with Christmas cookies," she mused.

"Or you could just come to Scotland for the holidays and make them here," Legolas said, catching Wennie by surprise. "What do you think, Ithilwen? Come spend Christmas with me?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Back in my day we had to walk for fifteen miles to regain our memories! Barefoot! In seven feet of snow! And by golly, we were thankful for them!"

Wennie had collapsed into her bed after a late shift at the restaurant, dealing with not just the usual drunken tourists to the area on Friday nights, but also the constant look of disapproval from Rick. She had described it once to her friends at the cafe, and Esther had jokingly dubbed it the "stinkface". After that night, she was pretty sure "stinkface" suited Rick's sour mood very well. As soon as her head hit her pillow, Wennie was sound asleep.

Being so tired, she truly didn't expect to dream that night, and when she found herself standing in a forest it came as a surprise. Wennie looked around at the enormous trees that sprung from the ground. Some of them were so wide that she couldn't place her arms around them, which she tried on several before a small figure bounced along a worn trail she had failed to notice. Wennie started after the figure, noticing that it wore a long white dress and had a lot of curly blond hair for someone so small.

"Hey!" she called out, picking up her pace to keep time. "Wait!"

Then the little person stopped, and Wennie briefly wondered if they heard her. She saw the head turn slightly, and she was treated with the chubby cheeks and blue eyes of a little girl. This girl looked over her shoulder, giving Wennie the tiniest of smiles. The woman thought this was unnerving, as if the girl really could see her, but she reasoned that as a dream-figure, the girl might be controllable.

Trying to test her theory, Wennie asked, "Where are you going, little girl?"

The girl said nothing, only continued to look in her direction. Wennie tried to think thoughts akin to forcing an answer, but she didn't get the results she expected. The little girl called out, "I can hear you, Ada!"

'Ada?' Wennie walked towards the girl and attempted to place a hand on her shoulder, only to find that it went through. She was a corporeal spirit, so to speak. 'But it was like she was looking right at me!' Wennie's thoughts were a mess when a movement from herleft caught her attention.

"You should not be unescorted, penneth," a male voice said gently to the little girl. Wennie's eyes turned to meet the gaze of a man dressed in what she could only assume were a tunic and leggings of varying shades of gray. He sported a back quiver of arrows and a sword at his hip, but any reservations she should have had were tossed by his demeanor. This man was trained to fight, yes, but there was some connection he had to this girl. "I thought one of your uncles had elected to bring you to the range today?"

'Range? Does he mean archery range?'

"Uncle Rumil is with Silivrenniel and Uncle Orophin. I wanted to walk with you, Ada."

Wennie recognized the long name as her cousin Fiona, but the other names went past her. 'Hang on...didn't she say that some guy named Rumil was her father? If Rumil is uncle to this girl, that must make her kin to Fiona-'

The man took the little girl by the hand and gently led her along the path. Wennie followed three steps behind, watching the interactions. "You are a princess of these woods, Ithilwen," the man told her, "you are expected to be escorted." The taller of the pair sighed, "If your mother had found out that your uncle let you wander by yourself, _I_ would have been the target of her wrath."

'Ithilwen?!' Wennie's eyes widened. 'So this little girl is...is me?!'

"Nana loves you Ada," the little Ithilwen replied. "She would not punish you."

As her thoughts began to click into place, it occurred to Wennie that she had missed another big revelation - this man, or technically elf, was her father. She knew she had heard the terms "nana" and "ada" before, but it was the shock of seeing her younger self that kept her from connecting all the pieces. Wennie run forward and walked backwards so she could better examine one of her parents.

Her adar - Haldir, she recalled - had long light blond hair that was intricately braided back. Dark brows against such fair skin would have seemed strange on most people, but Wennie found it wasn't very noticeable. His blue eyes were framed by dark lashes, and the bridge of his nose was not the straight slope she often saw in San Francisco; his held a slight bump that looked more natural than broken. Haldir moved with the kind of grace that she had seen in the other elves she had encountered, but there was more to it, like he was some kind of soldier. She'd have to make a note to ask someone about what her parents did.

Wennie followed alongside them as they meandered off the worn path to a break in the trees, which opened to a broad enclosure that was littered with other elves. 'So it is an archery range,' she thought, noticing the straw targets set a great distance away. Nearby sat tables that housed varying pieces of equipment: arrows, mending tools, and the occasional bow propped against the edge.

Her gaze went back to herself and Haldir, the former running towards another girl that was slightly larger than her. 'Is that...?' Wennie didn't get to finish her though when her younger self shouted the girl's name. 'So that is Fiona. Wow, we really did get to grow up together!' Her cousin's hair was plaited into one thick braid, and the few strands of hair not quite long enough to reach were flying loose. From behind Silivrenniel stood two identical looking elves, and from the way that her father greeted them, these were her uncles. 'I guess the genes really do get passed along in elven families,' she mused, noting the similar features of Haldir and his brothers. 'It's like you wouldn't notice it until they were all side by side.'

The two girls chattered on until the three older elves were ready for practice. Wennie stood back and watched as Haldir ran her younger self through what she surmised were rounds of repetitive technique. Sometimes he would criticize her form as a parent would in teaching their child something new, but not once did it come out harsh-sounding like the horror stories she had heard about beauty pageant mothers. While they were living vicariously through their children for awards and glory, Wennie felt that Haldir was not that kind of parent. He praised her just as much as he pointed out her faults, which seemed like a parent that wanted their child to succeed from mistakes and take pride in their skill.

Wennie liked the sounds of that, but she couldn't help but think about what he would think of her now. Was she still everything he had hoped his daughter would grow up to become? Would he be proud of her?

* * *

The dream had shifted, and now Wennie found herself in a room with little Ithilwen, who sported smudges of black on her fingers, hands, and a cheek. In front of the elf sat sheets of parchment with varying degrees of markings, and farther off sat what Wennie thought were pots of paints. She stood over herself and tried to decipher one of the drawings, but she couldn't make out what it was.

Another shadow appeared where hers should have been. "What a beautiful piece, Ithilwen!" the woman's voice said in delight.

Little Ithilwen looked up and smiled, feeling accomplished. "It is a dragon, Nana!" she declared, holding it up for closer inspection.

'Dragon?' Wennie thought. 'It looks more like a fire-breathing baked potato with wings to me, but okay...' She was more interested in find out what her mother looked like, anyway.

Morwen's appearance was anticlimactic, in Wennie's opinion. Given that she didn't resemble Haldir entirely, logic would dictate that she took after her naneth more. Not that she was disappointed, of course, as Morwen did look like a more matured version of herself. 'Minus the wild hair color streaks,' she thought. 'I bet she'd be so disappointed to see my hair now...'

* * *

When the dream changed again, Wennie could barely keep the scenes straight. She got to see her grandparents, or the Lord and Lady of Lorien at the time, but they were simply her grandparents to Little Ithilwen. "Grandpa Celeborn" always hand interesting stories to tell, either to her younger self, or when all of the grandchildren were gathered together. Wennie noted with some amusement that her grandfather had what she believed were servants bring in snacks for the children during these times, no matter when the sessions were held. It wasn't like anyone was going to argue with their leader if he asked for snacks for his grandchildren right before supper.

Many of the scenes that passed her by featured excursions with Fiona, often with the older elleth coming to their home at the crack of dawn to ask if Ithilwen could come out and play. Occasionally she got to visit her other cousins in Rivendell. From the looks of things, it seemed like only Bernard was closest to the Lorien ellith in age, but Arwen was a close second. Elladan and Elrohir, though older, were no less mature at times, which Wennie learned rather quickly that the lot of them got lectured when they were together. It was nice, Wennie discovered, to be able to get a glimpse at what could have been as she was a kid.

'Unless,' she realized, seeing the signs of another shift in the dream, 'these are part of my memories?'

* * *

Wennie found herself in an inset glade this time, back in the familiar woods of Lorien, but this area looked rarely occupied by many elves. It was almost like it were a private area for selected individuals.

She turned on the spot, taking in all of the different flowers that helped build a natural barrier against wandering eyes from afar, though with who walked into the area just then, she didn't think anyone would dare spy. After all, it would be foolish to eavesdrop on the Lady of Lorien.

Galadriel always looked like some kind of angel to Wennie, from the first time she saw her in the dream. 'All she needs are the wings.' Even the simple white gown she was wearing presently looked far more intricate than it was, and she wondered if it wasn't part of her charisma that had the effect. Her grandmother glided about the glade in bare feet, coming to sit beside Little Ithilwen on one of the benches. Her younger self was kicking her legs about as they dangled over the edge, lifting the hem of her gown enough for Wennie to see she was barefoot as well. 'Must run in the family.'

"Grandpa said you wished to see me, Grandma?" Little Ithilwen asked softly.

"Indeed," Galadriel smiled. "I have a proposition for you, child. Would you like to have an adventure all on your own?"

Little Ithilwen's eyes lit up in delight and she nodded enthusiastically. "I would wish so, Grandma! Truly!"

The older woman revealed a set of parchment, quill, and ink from a bag. She set them on the forest floor before their feet, tucking the empty bag beneath the benchseat. Little Ithilwen furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What is the adventure, Grandma?"

"The adventure, penneth, is to expand your social skills," she explained. "We think that you are old enough to speak with our kin in other lands."

"But I already speak with my cousins," Ithilwen pointed out, "They are kin."

Galadriel nodded. "That is true. However, there are other elven realms aside from Imladris. You know this. I believed that you were mature enough to develop friendships with other elves outside of our realms, but if you do not wish this-"

Her expression clearly said that she was disappointed, and this didn't sit well with either Wennie or Little Ithilwen. The younger spoke up quickly, in hopes to correct her mistake. "I am mature enough, Grandma! Very mature! But...I do not understand how this is an adventure..."

When her grandmother smiled once more, Wennie felt better. "It is an adventure in that you are meeting new elves," Galadriel explained. "You will get to tell them about your life and in turn learn about theirs. It will help develop your views of the world around us to make friendships with others outside of your home. Does this sound exciting?"

Little Ithilwen nodded. "Who do I get to write to?" she asked, "I do not know anyone outside of Lorien that is not family."

"I have that taken care of, child." Galadriel ran her fingers through Little Ithilwen's loose curls. "All you will have to do is pen a letter and seal it. I will ensure that it is delivered promptly."

"What do I write about?"

"You can introduce yourself," her grandmother advised. "Write about your interests. Ask about theirs. In time you will get a response, and you keep the conversation going. It is not difficult once you begin writing, Ithilwen. After a few letters, you will hardly recall any issues you had getting started."

Wennie took a seat on one of the empty benches in the glade and watched as her younger self began to write on the parchment provided with the help of her grandmother. She couldn't read the script that Ithilwen wrote in, but occasionally she would hold up her work-in-progress and ask for help. After some time, the letter was finished, sealed and ready for a messenger to take away.

The scene changed slightly in the dream, but Wennie was confused as to why she still remained in the glade. Galadriel was sitting on the bench, as she had before, only holding what looked to be a letter in her hands. 'Is that the same one?'

Little Ithilwen came running into the glade, dressed in a small tunic and leggings. It looked as if she had been practicing her archery again. She ran forward and almost leaped into her grandmother's arms as Galadriel helped her to sit on the bench. "I heard the messenger had arrived," she said breathlessly. "Did he bring anything for me?"

"He most certainly did, child." She held the letter out to her to take. "Your first response from your new writing-friend."

The young child wasted no time in breaking the green wax seal. She unfolded the parchment and began to read out loud: "To Lady Ithilwen Haldiriel, Mae govannen, I am Legolas Thranduilion of Greenwood. It is with respect that I write to you this day, as I received your letter of introduction. Like you, I was encouraged to pen missives to other kingdoms, and I have been unsure of what to say. I thank you for the questions you have asked, as it will help me better introduce myself. I have one older sister, whom I call Tauriel. She looks more like my naneth than my adar, whom I resemble, as I have been told. I enjoy archery mostly. If my sister were like other ellith in our kingdom, I would find the news of your practice strange. I think the two of you would like each other. I am unsure of if it is proper for an elleth to practice archery, but my sister is quite skilled. How are your skills with a bow? Do you practice other forms of combat, or is archery a leisure activity you enjoy? What other things do you do for enjoyment? Do you have any siblings? I must end my letter here; it appears I am being called for the evening meal. I look forward to your next letter, Lady Ithilwen."

Wennie was stunned. Had Galadriel planned this? She didn't have time to think about that, as the amused expression of her grandmother was steadily going out of focus. Before she realized it, she was leaving the secluded glade of her grandmother's home and arriving back in real time, amid a tangle of sheets and hair.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" she mumbled to herself. Shoving the tangled tresses out of her eyes, she scrambled to sit up and reflect on what she had seen. She saw her parents, her grandparents, and her cousins. She got to see parts of her home and her aunt and uncle's home. And then it ended with a letter from a younger Legolas, which must have started some penpal friendship? She wasn't quite certain.

The clock on the side table read 5:40 a.m., so while it was barely daybreak, she knew that she had to talk to someone, but who? Given the contents of the dream, it didn't seem right to bother Thranduil or Galion with her questions. Fiona was in New York most likely, and she needed to speak to someone face to face to explain what she went through. She considered Legolas, but she wasn't sure how to process this herself yet. There was no way she could ask him.

On instinct, her hand reached out and plucked her phone from the table. She dialed the number and waited for one of two responses; either a half-awake greeting, or a half-awake tongue-lashing.

"Hello?" The voice mumbled. It sounded like the first of the two, but it was too early to tell.

"Bernard? It's Wennie. I've got some news, and I need to talk to someone in person." She chewed her bottom lip as she glanced at Legolas' photograph, feeling guilty. "I think I got some of my memories back."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good friends not only sympathize with your worries, but they will also give you the dose of reality that you desperately need.

Wennie had collapsed into her bed after a late shift at the restaurant, dealing with not just the usual drunken tourists to the area on Friday nights, but also the constant look of disapproval from Rick. She had described it once to her friends at the cafe, and Esther had jokingly dubbed it the "stinkface". After that night, she was pretty sure "stinkface" suited Rick's sour mood very well. As soon as her head hit her pillow, Wennie was sound asleep.

Being so tired, she truly didn't expect to dream that night, and when she found herself standing in a forest it came as a surprise. Wennie looked around at the enormous trees that sprung from the ground. Some of them were so wide that she couldn't place her arms around them, which she tried on several before a small figure bounced along a worn trail she had failed to notice. Wennie started after the figure, noticing that it wore a long white dress and had a lot of curly blond hair for someone so small.

"Hey!" she called out, picking up her pace to keep time. "Wait!"

Then the little person stopped, and Wennie briefly wondered if they heard her. She saw the head turn slightly, and she was treated with the chubby cheeks and blue eyes of a little girl. This girl looked over her shoulder, giving Wennie the tiniest of smiles. The woman thought this was unnerving, as if the girl really could see her, but she reasoned that as a dream-figure, the girl might be controllable.

Trying to test her theory, Wennie asked, "Where are you going, little girl?"

The girl said nothing, only continued to look in her direction. Wennie tried to think thoughts akin to forcing an answer, but she didn't get the results she expected. The little girl called out, "I can hear you, Ada!"

'Ada?' Wennie walked towards the girl and attempted to place a hand on her shoulder, only to find that it went through. She was a corporeal spirit, so to speak. 'But it was like she was looking right at me!' Wennie's thoughts were a mess when a movement from herleft caught her attention.

"You should not be unescorted, penneth," a male voice said gently to the little girl. Wennie's eyes turned to meet the gaze of a man dressed in what she could only assume were a tunic and leggings of varying shades of gray. He sported a back quiver of arrows and a sword at his hip, but any reservations she should have had were tossed by his demeanor. This man was trained to fight, yes, but there was some connection he had to this girl. "I thought one of your uncles had elected to bring you to the range today?"

'Range? Does he mean archery range?'

"Uncle Rumil is with Silivrenniel and Uncle Orophin. I wanted to walk with you, Ada."

Wennie recognized the long name as her cousin Fiona, but the other names went past her. 'Hang on...didn't she say that some guy named Rumil was her father? If Rumil is uncle to this girl, that must make her kin to Fiona-'

The man took the little girl by the hand and gently led her along the path. Wennie followed three steps behind, watching the interactions. "You are a princess of these woods, Ithilwen," the man told her, "you are expected to be escorted." The taller of the pair sighed, "If your mother had found out that your uncle let you wander by yourself, _I_ would have been the target of her wrath."

'Ithilwen?!' Wennie's eyes widened. 'So this little girl is...is me?!'

"Nana loves you Ada," the little Ithilwen replied. "She would not punish you."

As her thoughts began to click into place, it occurred to Wennie that she had missed another big revelation - this man, or technically elf, was her father. She knew she had heard the terms "nana" and "ada" before, but it was the shock of seeing her younger self that kept her from connecting all the pieces. Wennie run forward and walked backwards so she could better examine one of her parents.

Her adar - Haldir, she recalled - had long light blond hair that was intricately braided back. Dark brows against such fair skin would have seemed strange on most people, but Wennie found it wasn't very noticeable. His blue eyes were framed by dark lashes, and the bridge of his nose was not the straight slope she often saw in San Francisco; his held a slight bump that looked more natural than broken. Haldir moved with the kind of grace that she had seen in the other elves she had encountered, but there was more to it, like he was some kind of soldier. She'd have to make a note to ask someone about what her parents did.

Wennie followed alongside them as they meandered off the worn path to a break in the trees, which opened to a broad enclosure that was littered with other elves. 'So it is an archery range,' she thought, noticing the straw targets set a great distance away. Nearby sat tables that housed varying pieces of equipment: arrows, mending tools, and the occasional bow propped against the edge.

Her gaze went back to herself and Haldir, the former running towards another girl that was slightly larger than her. 'Is that...?' Wennie didn't get to finish her though when her younger self shouted the girl's name. 'So that is Fiona. Wow, we really did get to grow up together!' Her cousin's hair was plaited into one thick braid, and the few strands of hair not quite long enough to reach were flying loose. From behind Silivrenniel stood two identical looking elves, and from the way that her father greeted them, these were her uncles. 'I guess the genes really do get passed along in elven families,' she mused, noting the similar features of Haldir and his brothers. 'It's like you wouldn't notice it until they were all side by side.'

The two girls chattered on until the three older elves were ready for practice. Wennie stood back and watched as Haldir ran her younger self through what she surmised were rounds of repetitive technique. Sometimes he would criticize her form as a parent would in teaching their child something new, but not once did it come out harsh-sounding like the horror stories she had heard about beauty pageant mothers. While they were living vicariously through their children for awards and glory, Wennie felt that Haldir was not that kind of parent. He praised her just as much as he pointed out her faults, which seemed like a parent that wanted their child to succeed from mistakes and take pride in their skill.

Wennie liked the sounds of that, but she couldn't help but think about what he would think of her now. Was she still everything he had hoped his daughter would grow up to become? Would he be proud of her?

* * *

The dream had shifted, and now Wennie found herself in a room with little Ithilwen, who sported smudges of black on her fingers, hands, and a cheek. In front of the elf sat sheets of parchment with varying degrees of markings, and farther off sat what Wennie thought were pots of paints. She stood over herself and tried to decipher one of the drawings, but she couldn't make out what it was.

Another shadow appeared where hers should have been. "What a beautiful piece, Ithilwen!" the woman's voice said in delight.

Little Ithilwen looked up and smiled, feeling accomplished. "It is a dragon, Nana!" she declared, holding it up for closer inspection.

'Dragon?' Wennie thought. 'It looks more like a fire-breathing baked potato with wings to me, but okay...' She was more interested in find out what her mother looked like, anyway.

Morwen's appearance was anticlimactic, in Wennie's opinion. Given that she didn't resemble Haldir entirely, logic would dictate that she took after her naneth more. Not that she was disappointed, of course, as Morwen did look like a more matured version of herself. 'Minus the wild hair color streaks,' she thought. 'I bet she'd be so disappointed to see my hair now...'

* * *

When the dream changed again, Wennie could barely keep the scenes straight. She got to see her grandparents, or the Lord and Lady of Lorien at the time, but they were simply her grandparents to Little Ithilwen. "Grandpa Celeborn" always hand interesting stories to tell, either to her younger self, or when all of the grandchildren were gathered together. Wennie noted with some amusement that her grandfather had what she believed were servants bring in snacks for the children during these times, no matter when the sessions were held. It wasn't like anyone was going to argue with their leader if he asked for snacks for his grandchildren right before supper.

Many of the scenes that passed her by featured excursions with Fiona, often with the older elleth coming to their home at the crack of dawn to ask if Ithilwen could come out and play. Occasionally she got to visit her other cousins in Rivendell. From the looks of things, it seemed like only Bernard was closest to the Lorien ellith in age, but Arwen was a close second. Elladan and Elrohir, though older, were no less mature at times, which Wennie learned rather quickly that the lot of them got lectured when they were together. It was nice, Wennie discovered, to be able to get a glimpse at what could have been as she was a kid.

'Unless,' she realized, seeing the signs of another shift in the dream, 'these are part of my memories?'

* * *

Wennie found herself in an inset glade this time, back in the familiar woods of Lorien, but this area looked rarely occupied by many elves. It was almost like it were a private area for selected individuals.

She turned on the spot, taking in all of the different flowers that helped build a natural barrier against wandering eyes from afar, though with who walked into the area just then, she didn't think anyone would dare spy. After all, it would be foolish to eavesdrop on the Lady of Lorien.

Galadriel always looked like some kind of angel to Wennie, from the first time she saw her in the dream. 'All she needs are the wings.' Even the simple white gown she was wearing presently looked far more intricate than it was, and she wondered if it wasn't part of her charisma that had the effect. Her grandmother glided about the glade in bare feet, coming to sit beside Little Ithilwen on one of the benches. Her younger self was kicking her legs about as they dangled over the edge, lifting the hem of her gown enough for Wennie to see she was barefoot as well. 'Must run in the family.'

"Grandpa said you wished to see me, Grandma?" Little Ithilwen asked softly.

"Indeed," Galadriel smiled. "I have a proposition for you, child. Would you like to have an adventure all on your own?"

Little Ithilwen's eyes lit up in delight and she nodded enthusiastically. "I would wish so, Grandma! Truly!"

The older woman revealed a set of parchment, quill, and ink from a bag. She set them on the forest floor before their feet, tucking the empty bag beneath the benchseat. Little Ithilwen furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What is the adventure, Grandma?"

"The adventure, penneth, is to expand your social skills," she explained. "We think that you are old enough to speak with our kin in other lands."

"But I already speak with my cousins," Ithilwen pointed out, "They are kin."

Galadriel nodded. "That is true. However, there are other elven realms aside from Imladris. You know this. I believed that you were mature enough to develop friendships with other elves outside of our realms, but if you do not wish this-"

Her expression clearly said that she was disappointed, and this didn't sit well with either Wennie or Little Ithilwen. The younger spoke up quickly, in hopes to correct her mistake. "I am mature enough, Grandma! Very mature! But...I do not understand how this is an adventure..."

When her grandmother smiled once more, Wennie felt better. "It is an adventure in that you are meeting new elves," Galadriel explained. "You will get to tell them about your life and in turn learn about theirs. It will help develop your views of the world around us to make friendships with others outside of your home. Does this sound exciting?"

Little Ithilwen nodded. "Who do I get to write to?" she asked, "I do not know anyone outside of Lorien that is not family."

"I have that taken care of, child." Galadriel ran her fingers through Little Ithilwen's loose curls. "All you will have to do is pen a letter and seal it. I will ensure that it is delivered promptly."

"What do I write about?"

"You can introduce yourself," her grandmother advised. "Write about your interests. Ask about theirs. In time you will get a response, and you keep the conversation going. It is not difficult once you begin writing, Ithilwen. After a few letters, you will hardly recall any issues you had getting started."

Wennie took a seat on one of the empty benches in the glade and watched as her younger self began to write on the parchment provided with the help of her grandmother. She couldn't read the script that Ithilwen wrote in, but occasionally she would hold up her work-in-progress and ask for help. After some time, the letter was finished, sealed and ready for a messenger to take away.

The scene changed slightly in the dream, but Wennie was confused as to why she still remained in the glade. Galadriel was sitting on the bench, as she had before, only holding what looked to be a letter in her hands. 'Is that the same one?'

Little Ithilwen came running into the glade, dressed in a small tunic and leggings. It looked as if she had been practicing her archery again. She ran forward and almost leaped into her grandmother's arms as Galadriel helped her to sit on the bench. "I heard the messenger had arrived," she said breathlessly. "Did he bring anything for me?"

"He most certainly did, child." She held the letter out to her to take. "Your first response from your new writing-friend."

The young child wasted no time in breaking the green wax seal. She unfolded the parchment and began to read out loud: "To Lady Ithilwen Haldiriel, Mae govannen, I am Legolas Thranduilion of Greenwood. It is with respect that I write to you this day, as I received your letter of introduction. Like you, I was encouraged to pen missives to other kingdoms, and I have been unsure of what to say. I thank you for the questions you have asked, as it will help me better introduce myself. I have one older sister, whom I call Tauriel. She looks more like my naneth than my adar, whom I resemble, as I have been told. I enjoy archery mostly. If my sister were like other ellith in our kingdom, I would find the news of your practice strange. I think the two of you would like each other. I am unsure of if it is proper for an elleth to practice archery, but my sister is quite skilled. How are your skills with a bow? Do you practice other forms of combat, or is archery a leisure activity you enjoy? What other things do you do for enjoyment? Do you have any siblings? I must end my letter here; it appears I am being called for the evening meal. I look forward to your next letter, Lady Ithilwen."

Wennie was stunned. Had Galadriel planned this? She didn't have time to think about that, as the amused expression of her grandmother was steadily going out of focus. Before she realized it, she was leaving the secluded glade of her grandmother's home and arriving back in real time, amid a tangle of sheets and hair.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" she mumbled to herself. Shoving the tangled tresses out of her eyes, she scrambled to sit up and reflect on what she had seen. She saw her parents, her grandparents, and her cousins. She got to see parts of her home and her aunt and uncle's home. And then it ended with a letter from a younger Legolas, which must have started some penpal friendship? She wasn't quite certain.

The clock on the side table read 5:40 a.m., so while it was barely daybreak, she knew that she had to talk to someone, but who? Given the contents of the dream, it didn't seem right to bother Thranduil or Galion with her questions. Fiona was in New York most likely, and she needed to speak to someone face to face to explain what she went through. She considered Legolas, but she wasn't sure how to process this herself yet. There was no way she could ask him.

On instinct, her hand reached out and plucked her phone from the table. She dialed the number and waited for one of two responses; either a half-awake greeting, or a half-awake tongue-lashing.

"Hello?" The voice mumbled. It sounded like the first of the two, but it was too early to tell.

"Bernard? It's Wennie. I've got some news, and I need to talk to someone in person." She chewed her bottom lip as she glanced at Legolas' photograph, feeling guilty. "I think I got some of my memories back."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What once was, now is, but that doesn't mean it always was once upon a time.

The little bell above the door alerted the shop owner to a new customer before he saw her approach the counter. His dark brown eyes took in the frumpled state of the young woman, from her slouched shoulders to her deep frown. The look didn't suit her at all. "Something got you riled up today, sheila?"

He went about collecting her usual order of flowers for the late season; dashes of white poinsettias were mixed with the red, with sprigs of assorted accent stems to pull the bouquet together. She fidgeted with her jacket's zip pull as she watched him arrange the flowers. "It's just work, Mr. Aster."

"The customers?"

"The boss." she deadpanned. "Ever since he has shown up to take Terry's place things have gone downhill! He yells at us on the floor - during hours - and has now set in new regulations that are literally insane!"

"I was wonderin' why you were here earlier than normal," Mr. Aster replied. "You usually don't come in till the 16th or so."

Wennie shrugged. "I have to take my opportunities when I can right now. Because of this," she pointed to her hair, "I have to work the morning shift when there are few customers so I won't be 'an eyesore with my mismatched hair'. I'm also supposed to lose some weight, but I think I can squeeze in some time at the campus fitness center."

Each sentence she spoke only became more sarcastic, which had the shop owner raise a brow in surprise. Ever since the first time she had come to buy a bouquet of flowers, Mr. Aster had learned a little about the young woman through their conversations. She was alone in the world, and had little to show for her life except her college grades and the hours she spent waiting tables. The idea of suggesting that she quit nearly crossed his lips, but from her tone and demeanor this afternoon it would not be a wise choice of words. 'Something tells me she already knows what she needs to do,' he thought as he rung up her purchase.

Carefully balancing the bouquet in her arms, Wennie offered Mr. Aster the first smile she had given anyone that morning. "I know I say this every time, but thank you. You do such an amazing job on all of my orders!"

"Think nothing of it, darlin'." He told her kindly as she made to leave the little shop.

After wishing her a good day, he left the counter and moved to bring in his products from outside for the night. He could see her walk the long pathway down the street, then across the intersection and continue on before her silhouette disappeared over the hill. Each month it was the same; Wennie would come in for her "usual" order, which varied depending on the season of the year, and after some small talk, she would pay for her order and walk the long way to her destination. Mr. Aster had tried in the past to discount her order total, but she would have none of it, claiming it to be a disservice to his work. 'That little girl comes in every month to buy flowers for her mother's headstone. How could I not do my best work?'

* * *

"I must admit, it's nice having a familiar face to work out with in the evenings."

The college fitness center was an offset building from the gymnasium, connected by a large set of locker rooms with shower facilities. Students had access to the fitness center by way of their student IDs and a sign-in sheet, but outsiders could pay a small fee to use the equipment as well. The later hours of the day saw fewer numbers of occupants making use of the center, choosing instead to spend their time elsewhere in relaxation.

Wennie had come to the fitness center directly from her history class, and had encountered Esther in the locker rooms. While she hadn't expected to run into anyone she knew, she had to admit that having a friend to talk to would help move things along. "I'm hoping that as soon as I can be allowed to work nights again, I will."

"In other words, don't get too used to it. I gotcha." Esther stretched her limbs lightly before climbing onto the leg press seat, adjusting it's dials and weights before beginning her set. "So what exactly is going on with work? Bernard said something to Jack about your boss being a complete douche."

"That's putting it nicely." Wennie settled on the rowing machine nearby. As she began to set her pace, she explained the situation. "According to Rick, I have to lose weight or I won't be allowed to serve the rush crowds like I'm scheduled to do. My hair has nearly been fixed, but my weight is still the problem."

"That's bullshit!" Esther's exclamation and distraction meant that the leg press came rushing back to its resting place, bringing her knees up to her collar bone. With a few deep breaths she managed to extend her legs again, slowly going back to her reps. "I mean, there has to be something illegal in that!"

"What can I do? I need to work, and the newest girls he hired can't keep the pace of the night rush!" Each word was met with a jerk from the handle of the machine, and the roar of the fanbelt within was proof of just how hard Wennie was pulling. The sudden amount of sweat on her brow and shoulders was also a clue. "Gene told me when he pulled a double shift the other week that Rick had them in tears after the restaurant closed! They _just_ started two weeks ago!"

"Is that even enough time to learn the routine?"

Wennie shook her head, once she came to a stop on the machine. "Not anymore. He keeps changing things, and without warning."

Esther completed her set and looked over at her friend, who was still sitting on the rowing machine, bent over her knees. Wennie's face was red, she was sweating a lot, and she was breathing like she had escaped a zombie hoard. It was easy to see that this was stressing her out, and while they didn't have the same class meetings, she knew of the work that Wennie had to do before the end of term. "Hey," she said, getting her attention. "I know you're sick of hearing this, but maybe you ought to think about leaving- Hear me out, before you blow up. B also said something about you having a friend over in Europe."

"...So?"

"Why not go with Bernard to this company party this year? You could use a vacation, and from the way he talks, you've already been talking with your friend long enough to be known."

"How is that going to help me with work?" Wennie asked tiredly. When she felt that she could stand up, she moved over to the line of treadmills against the wall.

Esther followed, stepping up on the one beside her. "Change of scenery usually does some good, or so they say. Then again, getting some also gives you a better perspective, if you know what I mean," she said with a wink.

Wennie nearly slapped the wrong button on the treadmill's panel, catching her mistake and adjusting the speed to something that wouldn't send her across the room. Sparing a half-glance-half-glare at Esther, she said, "When did my friend from Scotland become my fuckbuddy?!"

"Hey! I _never_ said fuckbuddy! It was implied, but you said it, not me!"

* * *

"So when are you guys going back to Scotland?"

"I would estimate the end of the month," Galion said, checking the calendar. "Perhaps after Thanksgiving at the earliest, once the chaos of return travelers has dissolved."

Wennie looked dubiously to Thranduil. "Is he serious? You'd be lucky if the flight plans are settled by the beginning of the year!"

"We have our own personal means of flying," Thranduil replied. "It is not so much a matter of whom you are flying with, but rather when it is safe for us to travel among the commercial airlines." He looked up from the magazine he had been skimming. "Have you made a decision, daughter?"

She sighed. It was like once she accepted to be called 'Ithilwen' by her family, Thranduil had also wanted to slip in 'daughter' every once in a while. It was strange at first, but by no means was he trying to replace her actual adar. "I...haven't...not yet," she said shamefully. "Legolas keeps telling me not to worry about it."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do! I can't help it!" Wennie leaned back in her chair, catching a whiff of the food that Galion had been preparing. "I feel almost as guilty about eating your cooking, Galion."

"You shouldn't," the dark haired ellon echoed, setting the plate down before her. "You need to eat, Ithilwen. You are looking rather thin."

Wennie picked up the fork given to her and stared at her plate. She wanted to eat, she desperately did, but could she afford to? The amount of time she had spent at the fitness center for the last few weeks was doing nothing to assure her that she was getting thinner. Some things were firmer, but she wasn't losing the inches she needed to. To help balance it out, or perhaps speed up the process, she had taken to skipping meals, eating small amounts when she had to...such as eating dinner with Thranduil and Galion.

"I have to lose some weight," she retorted half-heartedly, not even believing the words she said anymore. They were an excuse, and all they seemed to do was irritate everyone around her.

Thranduil gave her a hard stare from across the table. "Do not let the words of a mortal convince you of something that is a natural part of you. Ithilwen, your form was never built to be thin, and as such, your vessel now reflects that. Elves rarely gain or lose excessive amounts of weight under normal circumstances, childbearing is perhaps the only instance. For you to succumb to that man's requirements, you would need to let your body wither to nearly ash and bone. Is that something that you wish to do? Do you wish to waste away to satisfy a mortal who will decompose faster than you could be reembodied? Do you wish for me to tell my son that his mate has chosen to throw her second life away for the demands of a mortal?"

Never had Wennie heard Thranduil speak so harshly, and she knew she had been due to be given this speech for a while. It had been Galion that had managed to clam the once-king, as his temper was steadily growing. She knew that she was being foolish, and this just further brought it home. It's not like she was alone anymore either. She had a family now, a big family, and a husband, and they all wanted to see her. Healthy and alive.

"No," she whispered, looking at the table. "No, I don't want to do that to Legolas. I...I couldn't."

"Then what is your plan?" Galion had asked her softly.

Wennie picked up her fork once again, looking up to face them. "Tonight, I will eat. I'll clean my plate, Galion. Tomorrow, when I go in to work, I'll talk with Rick, and I'll explain it to him. I'll make him see that I am just as capable even if I am not stick-thin."

"Good," Thranduil said, looking at her with a hint of a smile. "And at the end of this week, you will join us for Thanksgiving dinner."

"I thought you guys didn't celebrate the day."

"We don't, normally. But this year we've decided to make an exception, for we have many things to be thankful for, daughter."

* * *

"Rick," Wennie called out as she approached the office door, "May I speak with you?"

She had dressed for work, save for her corset, which lay in her hands. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun, hiding the tips of her ears, which had thankfully stopped hurting once the points had finished forming. Her makeup was simple, nothing outrageous like it had been in the past. The plan was simple; appear presentable before the boss, plead her case, and hope she could get back into her work routine. The catch would be him approving.

Rick, for whatever reason, had been in an unusual mood that morning, so Wennie was caught off guard as she was called into the office with a nicer tone than he had ever used with her one-on-one. Wennie entered slowly, trying not to make it obvious that she was looking for any kinds of trip wires or traps that could set her up with a pink slip. Instead, everything was normal. Rick was sitting back in his office chair, turned to face her and waiting for her to begin.

"Yes, Sioda?"

It was freaky, him being so calm. "I...I wanted to speak with you, sir, about...my schedule." Rick didn't make any motion of protest, so she continued. "Sir, while I truly appreciate you allowing me to come back to work in the morning shifts, my school schedule is interfering. As it is almost the end of term, I have final exams and multiple research projects that need to be completed in the coming weeks. When I applied for this job, I opted to work the evening hours so that I could attend classes without stress, but this term's schedule is mostly reserved for the morning hours...when I'm scheduled to work."

Rick held up a hand silently and Wennie stopped, fearing that he was about to go on the attack. He said, "You need to take your evening shifts back then, I take it?"

"Yes sir," she said softly. "I understand that you are not happy with me, and I could be potentially altering the other girls' time tables with this request. I am aware of that. I just...need to make it known that this is my second to last term of college, and I have come too far to fail. Many of the projects are group-based, and they are counting on me to follow through with my tasks as well. I will do what I can to make up the difference for anyone that will be displaced," she added, "I'll even forfeit my days off if it means that I can work at night."

"You are right about the displacement, Sioda," Rick said carefully. "The new girls will have to make adjustments. However, I believe that we can arrange it so that you can work nights."

Wennie nearly gasped out loud. Had it been that easy? Surely not! This was Rick!

"Still," he began again, and she felt her chest tighten in anxiety. "There are some things that we still need to discuss before you resume your regular shifts."

It was too good to be true. "Yes, sir?" At this point she was willing to convert to demonic ritual studies if it meant that she could get her schedule straightened out.

"First," he ticked off on one hand, "Your behavior needs to improve. With me, with the new girls, and with the worst customers. I am aware that they are difficult, but they bring in business. You must be willing to show more respect to all members of this staff, regardless of how long you have known them. We are a unit, and without all hands functioning as one, we fall apart."

"I understand sir," she nodded. "Please forgive me of my past discretions. I have been under a lot of stress."

Rick nodded briefly. "Aren't we all. Second, your appearance is suitable, however I am curious as to why you are carrying part of your uniform this morning. You know that one of the newest requirements is to maintain a collective size in order to bus tables. From where I am sitting, it does not appear that you have changed much."

Wennie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from retorting in a snappish way. This was one thing that she had anticipated him pointing out, and the urge to bite his head off was looking better and better. But she had to remain calm and respectful, after all, he was offering to put her back on the night shift. She'd have to pick her battles carefully.

"That's why I'm holding this," she indicated with the corset. "I have been working at the fitness center on campus since you put me on leave, and no matter how much cardio or strength training I do, I cannot lose the weight. I've even resorted to skipping meals and eating the bare minimum to function from day to day. I have lost weight, however it's just not showing everywhere." To further prove her point, Wennie turned to her left and lifted the side of her blouse, exposing the defined lines of her rib cage and dip where her hip bone had begun to protrude. When Galion had commented on how thin she was the night before, he had no idea just how much she had lost.

Rick didn't say anything, which made her wonder if this display would do any good. After a few minutes, he sighed. "Alright Sioda. Since it looks like you're not getting any smaller, just make some adjustments to your uniform. Cinch the corset tighter or something to appear thinner if you have to."

The lack of breakfast that morning was evident as stomach acid worked its way up. Wennie thought she was going to be sick, like caused from anger. No words of concern about her health, nothing about how she was starving herself to keep her job! Just cinch the corset tighter?!

Through clenched teeth, Wennie responded in as respectful a tone as she could muster. "I will crack ribs if I must, sir." There was no way she was going to back down from his suggestion; she was more than willing to break a ribcage if it came to it. She would have rather it been his, though.

* * *

Work that morning had been short. Rick had given her leave to make her day classes, telling her to return right after to take Becky's shift that night. In the span of time that she had been gone, Wennie learned just why Rick had been so "nice" about giving her her normal schedule back.

Victor had been there.

The owner of Cogs and Coins had been spending more time observing the changes that Rick was implementing, which meant that the boss had to play nice with his employees or risk raising the ire of his boss. Wennie had always liked Victor, and knowing that he was hovering just over Rick the Dictator with his thumb on the pules of the restaurant was incredibly relaxing. Unfortunately, that ended with the evening shift, as Victor had left to return home just before she arrived, and things had been back to the norm.

At school, Wennie had to hunt and peck between her classes to find each of her group members to inform them of her current situation. To her horror, she had learned that out of one group of seven, four had dropped the class three days before. Now all of the work was divided between the three remaining members, who already had piles of tasks to complete in other classes. She assured this group, as her other ones, that she would deliver on her end of the assignment, even if she missed some of the group meetings. In that one particular group, however, this promise wasn't very comforting. She couldn't blame them. Not being present for the evening meetings only made it more difficult to ease their minds about her presence in the work, because she was working for her paycheck to keep the bills paid. All of her research papers were a jumble of notes and half-written outlines; not so much as a first draft.

All of this stress was only further added with the lack of time Wennie got to talk with Legolas. In a normal week, she would have spoken to him at least two times a day. Recently, that time has been shortened to two times a week, and it didn't look like it was going to get any better. He understood, as he told her each time they did talk. Wennie still felt a huge amount of guilt though. Yet nothing could compare to the ache she felt when she slept that night.

* * *

Wennie found herself back in what she came to know as Lothlorien, observing a more matured version of herself as she went about her days. Most of it would be typical chores, not being of any particular importance, but it allowed her to see what she did as an elf maid. Other fragments would involve her learning to fight alongside her cousin. It was meant as an exercise in knowledge, not in any practical application, but Wennie could see that she was being taught to do damage if she was in such a situation. No screaming or whistle-blowing here.

The fragments of the dreams that she most looked forward to were the ones where she awaited letters from Legolas. In these, she could see herself look anxiously for the messenger that would come to her personally. Other times, she would seek him out, much to the amusement of her family. Wennie saw that these letters were a big deal to her former self, and she paid close attention to each word that was recited from the parchment. The first few times she had tried to read over Ithilwen's shoulder, only to get frustrated when she realized that she couldn't decode the elegant script. This was something she hoped she would remember, because the thought of having to relearn it was daunting. It was after that that Wennie took to sitting beside Ithilwen on her customary bench as she read the letter to herself.

That night in Wennie's dreams, something different happened. Something that left her uneasy as she walked through the dream-forest to find Ithilwen.

Ithilwen was sitting at their usual spot, trying to keep from twisting her hands together with worry. Wennie took a seat beside her, noticing that her former self also worried her bottom lip. "What's wrong?" she asked, knowing that the elleth wouldn't hear her.

"Where could he be?" Ithilwen muttered, and somehow Wennie knew that she referred to the messenger.

"Maybe he's caught in traffic?" Wennie responded, sighing when she remembered that her sass was going unnoticed by herself.

Ithilwen turned sharply, and Wennie nearly shat herself in surprise when blue eyes met her own. 'Holy fucking hell can she see me?!'

"Lannian," she called, and Wennie let out a breath of air. "Do you bring any news from the Woodland Realm?" It was apparent that Ithilwen was trying to remain collected, but Wennie could see the subtle mention of Legolas in her eyes. 'Good lord, was I that far gone already?'

The messenger, Wennie noted with some apprehension, was not making direct eye contact with her former self. It appeared that Ithilwen noticed this as well, for she repeated her question. When Lannian answered, it was not what either wanted to hear. "My Lady," he swallowed, "Lord Celeborn requests your audience regarding the letters from our Woodland kin." He then bowed and excused himself, as if he were delayed by delivering this message instead.

Ithilwen wasted no time in bolting from the scene, and Wennie shot after her, desperate to find out what had happened. She chased herself through the forest floor of the realm, up a spiral set of stairs to a large flet, and through a wide door to reveal that they had entered a highly reserved meeting area. This was her grandfather's library, it appeared.

Celeborn regarded his granddaughter with an incline of his head, motioning for her to sit down. Wennie was right at her side as a support of curiosity and comfort, though she couldn't help her past self. "It appears that you have heard my summons, penneth."

"Lannian just informed me," Ithilwen said. "What is this news, grandfather? Why have I not received a letter from Legolas?"

Wennie didn't like how her grandfather seemed to stall before answering. When he did speak, she _really_ didn't like the answer. "I received a missive from Prince Legolas just a while ago," he said. "In it he made it evident that he no longer wished to correspond with you, Ithilwen."

She could see the light that was in Ithilwen's eyes dim at these words, and the lack of compassion in her grandfather's expression only angered Wennie. How could this be the same elf lord that was so wise and revered? She had been told by her own mother that her grandfather was a very kind a loving figure to her and her cousins. How could this same elf stand here and tell one of his grandchildren something so painful without the slightest sign of remorse?

"Why?" The word was spoken so softly that Wennie wouldn't have heard it if she hadn't been right beside her.

"The letter specified that the prince has become too enraptured with his own people to take time away from his duties to write letters to you. There will no longer be any correspondence between yourself and the future king of the Woodland Realm. That is all there is to be said, granddaughter."

After these words, Celeborn had seemingly left the room. Wennie couldn't bring herself to look away from Ithilwen to know for sure if he was gone, or if he had just simply faded from the present memory. She watched her former self, seeing the words he had said begin to sink in as her eyes filled with tears. Knowing it was impossible, Wennie still tried to put her arm around Ithilwen as the elleth began to cry.

Wennie was at a loss and didn't know what to do. She could only watch helplessly as the elleth's soft cries turned to sobs, and it broke her heart. How could this happen? Why did this happen? They were married now, so surely there must have been something that fixed everything, right?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never assume and jump to conclusions. All it does is make an ass of you and me.

Wennie was still dreaming; that had to explain everything. Her grandfather had told Ithilwen that Legolas was too busy to write to her any longer, and her former self was a sobbing mess in the library. 'Something just doesn't add up,' she thought, wishing she could give her early-self some sort of hug. 'If we're married now, why would Legolas have said that way back then? There has to be some reason behind this!'

When she looked up next, the library - and Ithilwen - were beginning to dissolve into darkness. Was she about to wake up?

"No!" Wennie shouted, rising to her feet as every inch of space around her became dark. "No! It can't end like this! I want to know what happened!" Soon after the sounds of Ithilwen's cries were replaced by her own echoed voice. "Tell me!" she screamed. "I need to know!"

As the echo of her voice was taken with the darkness, Wennie began to feel like she wouldn't know the answers. She would wake up and have to worry over everything that she had just seen until such a time that her memories felt compelled to tell her the rest. There was no way she could not know before she woke up. Everything about this set of memories unsettled her to her core, and she knew that she would not be able to function unless she saw the resolution. Everyone had told her not to fight it, to allow these visions to come to her as she was ready, but Wennie had had enough waiting. She had spent far too long in isolation, away from everyone she knew, and now that she was aware, she wanted them back.

"I want my memories back!" she continued to scream. "I want them back!"

Still, the darkness seemed to mock her with the silence of no reply.

Wennie grit her teeth in frustration. If whatever this darkness was wanted to dangle bits and pieces of her life before her, she was going to make it known she wasn't playing for fun. She was playing for keeps.

"I am Ithilwen Haldiriel, daughter of Haldir and Morwen or Lothlorien! Granddaughter of the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel! I am the mate of Legolas Thranduilion of Eryn Lasgalen, and Lord of Ithilien! I command you - cease this blockade on my heart! Return to me what is rightfully mine!"

She didn't know where the words came from within her, or how her voice even managed to speak them without faltering. It had to have come from her past life, as its manner sounded much like that of someone with an ability to command a number of people. Wennie felt a sense of pride overcome her in that moment, for if nothing else, she had managed to stand up for something in her life.

The darkness that was closing in around her as she had made her demands stopped. No noise was present, but Wennie could feel the barriers around it slowly crumbling like a broken window. It had started out as the tiniest cracks of light, and instantly Wennie rushed to it, throwing herself into the darkness. She felt herself be pushed through, and then she felt the rough ground beneath her. Wennie looked around, seeing the moss on the stones and tree trunk inches from her nose. Above her, a canopy of golden leaves shielded her from the direct sunlight of the afternoon.

She was back in Lothlorien.

Wennie quickly got to her feet, hearing the voices of the Galadhrim Warriors, and the unusual sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Even though she knew she wouldn't be seen, she still felt better hiding behind the nearest tree trunk as they passed. Wennie estimated a large number of people were taking the path to the city, but what made it peculiar was the odd assortment of travelers the warriors were escorting. She saw four very small creatures, what she assumed was a dwarf in his heavy armor, two human men, and -

'Legolas!' She felt her heart pick up its pace as she saw him pass by with the group. 'What's going on? Why is he with these people, and why do they all look so defeated?'

Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps it was part of the plan that Fate had in store for her, but Wennie chose to follow the warriors and the unexpected guests to wherever they were going. She was pretty sure she could find herself later, anyway.

* * *

What she thought was 'unexpected guests' turned out to be the heroic Fellowship of the Ring, and their somber appearances were due to the death of Mithrandir. Wennie recalled hearing Legolas tell her about their journey to Mordor late at night by phone, so she knew already that Mithrandir had been sent back. That didn't mean she didn't want to go over and hug Legolas as they stood before her grandparents retelling the tale. At least, she did until she saw Ithilwen standing farther back on the flet.

'Why the hell do I look like I could set someone on fire?!' she thought, noting with surprise at how furious Ithilwen must have been. She looked back to Legolas, who didn't seem to notice Ithilwen's hard stare, if he even saw her at all. 'Is it because of Legolas? Or am I still mad about what Grandpa told me - her, dammit!'

The group was then escorted off the flet, and yet Wennie remained behind to learn why Ithilwen was glaring daggers at her once-friend. Galadriel had glided across to her side, stooping just slightly to whisper in her ear, which only resulted in a rush of protests from Ithilwen. Her grandmother gave her an even stare, and with the tiniest nod, indicated that she should do as she was told. Both grandparents walked away, and Ithilwen let out a sigh and began her descent down the stairs, looking much like a put-out teenager.

Wennie followed Ithilwen down the stairs and to the left as the elleth made a sharp turn, which she found out later led to the kitchens. She watched as Ithilwen was laden down with a large tray of food, following a couple other elves that were carrying drink and tableware. It was easy to see that this was not meant for the dining halls, or whatever they were called, and Wennie became even more curious to see how things played out.

* * *

Wennie stood back some ways as Ithilwen approached the group. "My grandmother bids you to eat, gentlemen," she spoke softly, so as not to alarm them, holding the tray out before her. The other servants had appeared next to her, carrying their own items or refreshments.

The taller man in the tattered dark clothes came forward. "It has been quite a while since I have laid eyes on you last, little one," he said with a sad smile, collecting the tray.

Ithilwen found herself smiling against her better judgment. "I seem to recall that you are the younger one, Estel."

"And yet you are the one that is smaller in stature. How do you fare these days, my lady?"

"Well enough," she replied softly. "I am sorry to hear of recent occurrences with your party. If there is anything that you require, all you have to do is ask."

Wennie could see plain as day that when Estel took Ithilwen's hand, the elleth didn't want to become the center of attention. She didn't blame her; she wasn't one to handle large groups of strangers and be the focal point at all times. Ithilwen didn't dig her heels in as Wennie might have, which said more about the elleth's character.

"Allow me to introduce you to everyone," he had said, bringing the attention of most of the fellowship onto her. "This is the daughter of Haldir, and granddaughter of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn, Ithilwen." In turn, he introduced her to everyone present in the area. Everyone except-

"Ithilwen," the breath came out in a whisper, but she had heard it.

Wennie turned at the same time Ithilwen did to see Legolas. He was wearing a simpler silver tunic, unlike the greens and browns she had first seen him in earlier. Legolas had looked on at Ithilwen in slight alarm, as if he didn't expect her to be in Lothlorien. Wennie quickly glanced back to see herself look back at the ellon with what she could only describe as barely repressed rage. 'Someone tell me, how did we get married? Old me looks like I'm going to eat him alive!'

"Good evening, my lord," came the terse greeting.

'Damn, I was a bitch.'

"Surely you remember me?" Legolas looked as confused about the whole situation as Wennie felt.

"Of course I recall you," Ithilwen said stiffly, lifting her chin up ever so slightly. "What I do not recall is the pleasantries of a farewell with your last missives. Tell me, Lord Thranduilion, do you expect me to extend my gratitude for your presence in my home?"

Wennie let out a low whistle as she watched the scene unfold. 'That was harsh. If this is what occurred after what Grandpa said, it makes sense that I'm- she's pissed.'

Legolas could only stand there dumbfounded as the elleth that put him down in front of his travel companions lifted her skirts and briskly walked out of the glad without so much as a parting glance in his direction. He followed the path she left with his eyes, turning back to see Estel looking at him in confusion. Wennie was torn between following herself and hanging back to see what happened afterwards, and as soon as the ranger began to speak, she chose the later option.

"Would it be impolite to ask what it was that you did to set her temper aflare, my friend?"

"I am not even certain, Aragorn!" Legolas looked torn between storming off after her and spitting nails. "She did not give me much of a chance to speak, her words were so ill!"

"Then perhaps it would be best for you to go find her and sort this matter," the ranger said, giving his friend a light shove in the direction Ithilwen had walked off. "If this can be resolved, it must be attended to quickly. We will be in these lands for some time, and I expect this will not be the last we see of the young maiden."

'Oh good, maybe some resolution to this mess!' Wennie thought, following Legolas through the trees. 'Someone tell me again, _how the hell_ did we get married?!'

* * *

Following the prince, Wennie wasn't paying much mind to where they were going of how she was getting there, for his pace was quick that night. Maybe it was the dream speeding things along, but she felt that they had caught up to Ithilwen's tracks fairly quickly. She had put some distance between herself and Legolas, and up ahead Wennie could see her hitching her skirts up a little higher about her as she set foot on the long spiral staircase.

"My Lady!"

Hearing that voice halted Ithilwen but a moment before she continued up the steps. When the voice called to her again, she only stopped when she had felt she put enough distance between herself and him.

"What do you require, my Lord?" she asked stiffly. Her jaw tensed when she discovered upon turning that he had stopped only but a few steps beneath her. Wennie was just behind Legolas, attempting to peer over his shoulder to watch the scene unfold.

Legolas continued to stare at her as if she were the mad one, which, to his credit, she did look the part. "The only thing that I require is the wish to know why you speak with ill will towards me. Have I done something to offend you?" He thought if he kept his tone neutral that it would placate her sudden ire, but if anything it seemed to make her angrier.

"You truly do not know?" She asked incredulously. Ithilwen could only stare down at the elf in disbelief. Wennie's glimpses as she hopped behind the ellon told her that Ithilwen might have resembled a stroke victim from the expression on her face.

"I had simply thought that after all this time you would have been more appreciative to see me in your realm," Legolas said carefully. "Even though the circumstances are less than ideal, I was pleasantly surprised to see you doing well."

Ithilwen's hand had reached for the edge of the tree to support herself during his explanation. "As you can see with your own eyes, I am faring well enough, my Lord. Now if you will excuse me, I wish to retire for the evening, as it has been a trying day."

'You have no idea,' Wennie thought sarcastically. 'Okay, well maybe _you_ do...'

Legolas had closed the distance between them on the stairs, gently grasping her free hand with one of his larger ones. "Please," he said softly, even as she glared daggers at him for touching her, "Will you not tell me of the offenses that I have bestowed upon you, so that I might go about finding a way to see you smile once more?"

She exhaled through her nose and pressed her lips into a thin line. Wennie was chewing her lip as she waited on bated breath for the response. 'Sounds like a good place to start making up,' she thought. 'But is it going to happen?'

"If you would be willing," she said carefully, "I will offer an explanation in my talan. The words I need to say are not fit for eavesdroppers that could be below us on the staircase."

'Yes!' Though no one could see her, Wennie did a small victory dance on the staircase. 'About damned time I do something right!' She looked up at the pair of elves just in time to see them continue up the stairs, and she had to scramble to catch up. While she couldn't actually touch anyone in these memories, Wennie wasn't entirely certain that she could go through walls, and she didn't want to miss the explanation.

Ducking into the talan just as Ithilwen moved to close the door, Wennie took a moment to look around. It was sparsely decorated, oddly reminding her of the bedroom in her apartment. 'Still, chances are Old Me didn't rent, and I know for a fact there weren't movie posters to be bought.' Even though Legolas took a seat as Ithilwen left the room, Wennie chose instead to poke around at the little details of the talan while she got the opportunity.

Ithilwen returned momentarily with a small box in her hands, which she sat down on the short table before the ellon. She bent to remove the lid, and from their positions Wennie and Legolas could see that the contents held within were folded pieces of parchment, worn with wear and age. They had been kept for some time within the box, though there had been indications of use on the box's lid, as if the owner has opened and closed it thoroughly over time.

"Do these look familiar to you?" Ithilwen asked, nudging the box closer to the elf before taking a seat across from him.

'Hopefully one of us does,' Wennie thought.

Legolas leaned forward and extracted the top piece of parchment. When he looked to the elleth for guidance, she indicated that he could unfold the object. At first glance, he could tell it was a letter, but upon closer inspection he was startled to see that the script on the page was his own handwriting.

"I wrote this," he said absently, skimming the contents, and from the looks of it it had been when he was much younger. The penmanship was not as elegant and some words were misspelled that he would have been appalled to misspell now.

Wennie dove to stand behind Legolas' seat so she could peer over his shoulder at the letters. It was indeed one of the letters that Ithilwen had read aloud in previous memories, though she still couldn't read the print.

"You did," Ithilwen nodded to the box, "Just as you wrote each of the letters contained within."

"You kept them?" Legolas, too embarrassed for his poor grammar as a child, refolded the letter carefully and returned it to the box. He had been pretty sure that the letters he had received were put away securely somewhere within his rooms, but memory failed to recall just where.

Wennie had no idea if the letters that she was looking at were even still in existence. Maybe her parents had kept them safely for her? She really hoped someone still had them. It would be a nice thing to look back on once she could remember how to read her kin's language.

Ithilwen nodded once more. "That I did. Naneth thought that it would be a source of fond memories for me when I became older, to look back upon our childhood letters and reminisce." She let out a short humorless laugh. "I did not think that one day I would fail to receive another letter to add to my box, but that day came and passed. As did many others, as you should well know."

"You were the one to stop writing letters to me," Legolas said. "My adar told me that there were no more letters to come from your hand because you had grown tired of amusing me."

'Say what now?!' Wennie's attention was no longer on the box between the two elves. 'Did he just say that Thranduil told him what Grandpa told me?'

"That cannot be, Legolas, for my grandfather said that with the last letter you sent that the messenger was to relay that you had grown disinterested in entertaining the whimsy of an elleth so much younger than yourself!" Ithilwen looked down at her hands then, recalling the memory all too clearly. "I had been most upset upon hearing this and had cried myself to sleep for many nights..." She looked back up to meet his confused gaze. "I could not believe what had been told to me, for I felt in my heart that you would not say such a thing, and yet... And yet you stopped writing to me! I waited for months, and then years, but when no letters came to me from you...I...believed the words my grandfather said to be true..."

'Oh, now it makes sense,' Wennie realized. 'Ithilwen gave up on ever hearing from Legolas again. That must have been why she looked so mad earlier! But that still doesn't explain why the letters stopped.'

Legolas watched helplessly as the elleth wrung her hands in her lap as she spoke, finally understanding her ire with him earlier had been greatly misplaced. "Ithilwen," he said softly, drawing her gaze to his once more, "It is my suspicion that our lack of messages betwixt us was coerced by our forefathers."

"I do not understand this," she replied. "Why would my grandfather say such a thing? I was under the impression that our kingdoms were allies?"

"In theory, but there has been a longstanding mistrust that predates the both of us," Legolas explained. "My naneth once told me of the tale when I was a youngling, of how my late grandfather's impenetrable determination during battle that claimed his life with that of much of the kingdom's warriors. He was not one to follow orders, and this was further exemplified by said orders coming from Gil-Galad himself. My adar had been taught to hold suspicion of many Noldor, namely the Lady Galadriel."

"My grandmother?" Ithilwen looked confused, as did her modern counterpart. "What does she have to do with our misleading information?"

"According to my adar, she has everything to do with the strained communications," Legolas said grimly. "The ring that she bears that maintains the beauty of these woods is the source of the suspicions. My adar does not feel that she has rightly protected the realm for such an amount of time because the protection is due to the magic-"

" _Just_ magic?" Now Ithilwen looked incredulous at the accusation. "Our warriors are more than adept at securing our borders! My adar-"

"-is highly skilled, of that I have no doubt," Legolas placated. "Adar has been ingrained with the personal accounts of his adar that has only clouded his judgment further. Having seen firsthand the abilities of your realms' guard, I know that these discretions are misplaced. My adar simply feels that ring is a crutch to be relied on, and in these opinions it appears your grandfather has taken offense. Of which I can understand," he added quickly, "I would not take kindly if my mate were questioned in their abilities and leadership."

'So...so Thranduil and my grandfather have trust issues? Or was it had? Come to think of it, I don't recall Thranduil or Galion saying much about my grandparents in casual conversation.'

Ithilwen leaned back against the chair she sat in. "Here I believed that you truly did not wish to write to me any longer," she murmured.

"I assure you the very idea is absurd," Legolas told her sincerely. "With each letter I sent with the messenger, I was anticipating your response. Not having heard from you in many years, I had only assumed that seeing you would reunite us with stories we had yet to tell the other."

"And I was foolish enough to let my temper get the better of me," she said sadly. "I must ask for your forgiveness, Legolas, for if I had any indication that you had not stopped writing out of meanness I would not have been so disrespectful in the glade."

Legolas had moved from his seat to kneel before Ithilwen's chair, taking hold of one of her hands once more. "You have my forgiveness, Ithilwen, though I feel the apology is unwarranted. Had I been yourself I would have reacted in much the same manner. On behalf of my adar's opinion of your family, I apologize for having ignored you for this long. Can you forgive me?"

Ithilwen found herself smiling genuinely for the first time that evening. "You know that I have," she said delicately, feeling her heart warm at the smile that graced his lips. It had been a monster of a misunderstanding between them, all because of their families inability to get along as they once had. Before she knew it, she had begun to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, and Legolas, seemingly understanding without words, had joined her. How ever in the world could she have believed that this ellon would have deliberately stopped writing to her!

From her spot by the box of letters, Wennie found herself smiling at the events before her. This still left a lot of questions unanswered, but she was glad to see some resolution between herself and Legolas. She had been tracing her fingers along the edge of the box, trying to commit its image to her memory once again, when she felt the distant pull of her form. Wennie looked around at the scene, seeing everything fade to white slowly, and she realized that she would soon be waking up.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To go forward in life, you have to close some doors of the past. If you want to set fire to them, be my guest, just make sure you're certain you don't want what's on the other side any longer.

Wennie woke up that morning with a bitch of a headache, yet she was still optimistic for the day despite this inconvenience. In one night she had gained a good amount of her memories, as well as a little bit more insight into what made Thranduil tick. She pushed the covers back and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, silently debating on skipping her first morning class in lieu of catching up on her work.

'If I skip, I can knock out a couple of the drafts for those papers,' she thought. 'It's not like we aren't reviewing content for the final anyway, and I do better cramming by myself...'

She looked over at the bedside table, seeing her phone had a blinking notification. Reaching for it, Wennie tapped the screen with her thumb. It was a text message from Legolas. Just seeing the name made her smile like a giddy teenager, even though she tried to repress it. She was far too old to giggle like a schoolgirl over a message, even if it was from her mate.

"Going in to work for the day. Have a good day at school, melamin. I love you and cannot wait until we speak again- Legolas," she read aloud, finding that she was smiling even bigger. "Okay, not a bad way to start the day."

But what did 'melamin' mean? It was something that was going to bug her all morning if she didn't figure it out.

* * *

"You want to know what _what_ means?" Bernard looked at Wennie quizzically from across the table.

"Melamin," Wennie said slowly. "I think I pronounced it right. Here, see-" she held the phone out to Bernard to show him the text message. "-that word. What does that mean?"

Bernard took the phone and studied it for a few minutes before passing it back across the table. "Knowing Legolas, it could be a term of endearment. It's not within our language. In fact, the closest word in our language to that is 'melleth-nin', which translates to 'my love'."

Wennie blushed, "Oh." She'd have to ask Legolas one of these days where he came up with 'melamin' if he didn't feel that 'melleth-nin' got the point across good enough.

"So tell me this, Ithilwen," Bernard reclined in his seat, giving her a pointed look, "Why aren't you in class right now?"

"I skipped it."

"You skipped it. Why?"

A new voice approached their table. "Because it's lame?"

"No," Wennie turned to see Jack and Esther pull up chairs. "I skipped class this morning so I could work on my papers."

"And hanging out in the cafeteria is the way to do that," Jack commented, reaching across and sneaking a french fry from Wennie's tray.

Esther swatted at his hand. "I'll get you food, Jack! Don't go taking Wennie's!"

"Hang about," Jack stood up briefly to pull a few bills from his pocket to give to his girlfriend. "Just get whatever looks good for all of us."

Esther went over to get in line, and Bernard followed to assist her. Wennie looked over at Jack and said, "I have food."

"Not enough. I heard about what you've been doing to yourself, Wen."

"And how did you know about that?"

"Because you forget - my fiance likes to talk." Jack grinned. "A lot. And you were her fitness-buddy these past few weeks, too."

Wennie sighed through her nose as she balled up a scrap piece of paper. It seemed like everybody and their brother was on her case about this excessive weight loss. Legolas would probably be next if he heard about it, which was a good possibility. Thranduil was almost as much of a gossip as Esther, she had learned.

"So are you ready for finals, Jack?" she asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged. "About as ready as I'm gonna be. You?" When she gave him a dirty look and motioned to the pile of papers in front of her, he looked sheepish. "Right."

"If I had more time off in the evenings I could get this done," she griped. "I just got back into the night shift as it is; if I ask for time off I'll likely get cut altogether."

Jack had been flipping through one of Wennie's books she had left on the table as she talked. He knew it would be suicide to suggest quitting her waitressing job; Esther had also told him she hadn't responded well to it already. Still, he had to say something. "Look, I'm not going to give you the 'just quit and be happier' speech, cause I've been informed you don't take kindly to the advice of your fellow classmates. It's your decision, Wennie. Whatever you want to do, you do. We're your friends, and we'll be here to support you no matter what."

Wennie had been surprised by Jack's admission. It wasn't like him to talk so seriously about the future, unless it had anything to do with Esther. "Thanks Jack," she told him, noticing that her cousin and his fiance were coming back with food. "I won't tell anyone you have a logical side."

"That would be illogical," he said in a neutral voice.

"So we're now on Mister Spock?" Bernard looked to Esther, who shrugged.

"After Halloween, the Frozen jokes weren't nearly as funny. His old neighbor back in Virginia threatened to kick his ass over the phone when Jack called on the first. Asked him if he wanted a build a snowman right after they got a surprise freeze."

* * *

That afternoon when Wennie went into Cogs and Coins, she was feeling accomplished, and a little proud of herself. Having skipped only the classes where she knew the material well enough to warrant not appearing for the review, she was able to write a complete draft of each paper required. She would have to double-back and check for inconsistencies and formatting it properly, but that would be a cakewalk compared to writing it. For her group research requirements, she was able to gather enough material to deem feasible. After work she would look over the notes and pick what she felt was most appropriate before forwarding it to her groups' leaders.

Things were good. Things were under control.

Wennie had texted Legolas back during her lunch break, telling him that things were great. She still couldn't tell him that she 'loved' him at the end of the message, but that was to be expected. She did add on as an afterthought that she had dreamt about him again, and looked forward to talking about it with him. She had turned her phone off as she arrived at the restaurant, tucking it in her bag that she stashed in the office. Bernard had dropped her off, telling her that even though they were in California, he still didn't want her walking so far at the end of November.

She donned her apron, checked to make sure her notepad and pens were tucked inside, and entered the chaos she called work. One of the newer girls, Ella, had asked Wennie the day before if she could come in a little earlier. Wennie had agreed, understanding that Ella had an appointment that she couldn't miss, and she wouldn't be in until almost an hour after her shift began. It would mean double the tables she'd have to watch, but that wasn't anything new.

The routine was the same. Clear the empty tables, check on customers, deliver the bills, take orders, etc. The difference was that many of the regulars weren't coming in as frequently as they used to, which was a suspected consequence of Rick's behavior. In their place were waves of more obnoxious individuals and groups, the kind that every person who has ever worked in the food industry catered to. They believed that they were always right, and would not hesitate in subjecting the poor soul that was waiting on them to torment. Wennie had begun ushering the newer girls to the regular customers as soon as she got on the night shift again, not wanting to make their first work experiences awful. And anyway, she had been the target of Rick's anger for longer. She could handle the customers compared to him.

The sun was going down for the day, and so far, things were still productive at Cogs and Coins. Most of the staff that evening was its 'all star staff', having been there since Terry hired them. They knew the process, and despite the ill-manners of some customers and the lack of training with the newest waitresses, things were running smoothly. It was almost like Terry had never left.

The sound of the back door of the restaurant banging open made everyone around Wennie jump, and she was immensely thankful for having just set the glass of wine down on the table. It echoed through the main part of the restaurant, so she could only cringe at what kind of sound it made in the back. 'Or what kind of damage was done.'

Wennie excused herself to check on another table and to take their order. She passed the order over to Gene by hand as she went back to the office. The door was left wide open as she entered, making a b-line for the supply cabinet in the far corner. Her ink pen had finally run out of ink, and her notepad was nearing its last few sheets, so she quickly grabbed one of each and tucked them into the pocket of her apron. She thought it was strange for Rick to leave the office door open, but then with the sound of his entrance, it was likely that he was darting in and out. 'Best get the hell out of dodge.'

Avoiding the boss would have been simple if he hadn't somehow appeared on the floor without her knowing, which was amazing as he was currently screaming at Ella, who had entered the restaurant from the front doors. The poor girl was near tears as she grasped her apron and purse in her arms, visibly shrinking back from his verbal abuse. He had been yelling about her being late, about why she shouldn't be coming in from the front door, and how stupid could she possibly be to think she could slip past his radar.

Regardless of the reasons, it was enough for Wennie to see red.

"Rick!" she blurted out, dashing around Gene - who had tried to intercept her - and moving with a look in her eyes that was lethal. He had come out to help serve the food, and saw her on the way back to the kitchens, but he wasn't quick enough to stop her from doing something foolish. "Leave her alone!"

Her calling had the desired effect. Rick had turned on the spot to see her approach. "This is none of your concern, Sioda. Get back to your job."

"You're damned right it's not my concern, but I'm making it," she told him bluntly, putting an arm around Ella's shoulders. "Ella's late because she had a doctor's appointment that couldn't be missed. She called me yesterday to ask if I could cover her until she came in, and since my shift started a half hour after hers, I told her I would."

"I don't care what her excuse it!" he snapped. "I've had it with you girls thinking you can come and go as you please! This isn't Terry you're dealing with!"

Ella had begun to cry now. "I was late because I was being told I miscarried!"

Wennie froze, as did everyone else in the vicinity. This news was not supposed to be a public announcement, and the topic coupled with how it was drug out of her only made the situation that much worse. She tightened her arm around Ella's shoulders as a means of support, for the poor young woman had begun to visibly shake with her sobs. She had no idea the woman was even pregnant, and now this?

The only person that didn't falter in their response was Rick. "It doesn't matter," he said coldly. "You've come in late for the last time. You're fired."

The only sounds in the building were the appliances at work in the kitchens and the sobbing of Ella. Wennie felt herself begin to shake at Rick's words to the already upset woman. "How dare you," she hissed. "How dare you! Do you have any sense of compassion for your employees?!"

"Watch your mouth, Sioda-"

"No! I won't!" Wennie raised her voice, stepping away from Ella and putting herself between the woman and Rick. "You have belittled everyone that has worked here since the first day you set foot in that back door! Being a boss does not make you superior in people's lives, Rick! I don't know what rotten alley you crawled out of, but that's not how the real world works!"

"Of course it does!" he shot back hotly. "You sniveling women are all alike! You expect us men to drop everything and offer comfort because you've broken a nail! The lot of you bitches may have been Terry's harem when he was in charge, but things have changed - playtime is over! You will obey your superior, Sioda!"

"Maybe if I saw him I would," she sneered. "All I see before me is an over privileged man that thinks because he has a dick it means he can walk all over the rest of us. You forget that women are the child bearers of the world; it wouldn't be hard for us to end the human race if we took a notion!"

"You are out of line, Sioda!" Rick was snarling like a wild animal now. "You women are the entire reason that this world is as fucked up as it is! Asking for equal rights, better pay and all that - perhaps if you kept your mouths shut and stayed on your backs like you were meant to, the world would be a better place!"

A shout from the bar came then. It was Gene. "Fuck you, Rick! Not all men think like you do! Women aren't the breeding stock you seem to think they are!"

"I've got this, Gene!" Wennie fired back at her friend.

Rick turned and rounded on him next. "You're one to talk. You're no more a man than Sioda here, fucking men left and right like some streetside whore. Now get back in the damned kitchen and get to work - and wear gloves! I don't want my customers complaining about getting AIDs in their food!"

There were collective gasps around the restaurant, and more to follow as Gene yelled "You sonofabitch!" as he cleared the bar counter like a hurdle and ran at Rick. Ella continued to sob behind Wennie, and the sudden commotion only made her cry worse. People began to dive out of the way as Gene neared the manager, hands balled into fists and looking to fight.

"GENE! NO!" Wennie shouted, diving in front of Rick to place her hands on her friend's chest. "If you hit him you'll go to jail!"

"It'd be worth it!" Gene spat, pushing against her hands. "Now stop protecting him and let me go!"

"I'm not protecting _him_ ," Wennie said with authority. "I'm saving _you_. And I'm telling you to stand down. Now!"

Gene continued to flare his nostrils in agitation as Wennie glared at him, but moments passed and he finally quit pushing against her. His expression never faltered however, and she had a feeling that whatever he planned to do would likely be a felony if he acted on it. When she was sure she could turn around, she spun on her heel to see Rick looking smug once more, feeling that he had won the battle.

"One bitch standing in for another bitch," he sneered, staring down his nose at her. "Like I said, you women are all alike."

Wennie's jaw clenched, and she wished she had let Gene at him. It would be pointless though, because Gene would take the brunt of the consequences while Rick would continue on about his merry way. "So because I stand up for my coworkers makes me a bitch?" she asked lightly. "If that's the case, then yes, I am a bitch. And I'm proud of it," she added, "because these people are my colleagues. We run a simple system called respect, and it works, not this dictatorship that you've brought to Cogs and Coins."

"It works in other countries," Rick stated. "There's no reason why it should not work here in America-"

"No, you don't get it Rick. Before you came here, we had an established routine. Business was good, and the customers respected us. They enjoyed our services, and continued to come back often. Since you arrived, we've steadily lost those regular customers for the worst that lack the simple manners that you can't comprehend! You've let go some of our oldest workers because they don't fit in your age range, simply for that reason! You've brought in new girls who don't have the courage to admit that they need training! For fuck's sake, you've ordered us girls to work ourselves to anorexic states just to keep our jobs! This isn't a place or work anymore, Rick! This is a visible sweatshop that makes food!"

Wennie stopped in her rant to look around her. From over Rick's shoulder, she could see Ella trying to calm herself, but the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. The tables of customers that had witnessed the whole ordeal could only look back with mixed expressions. Some were in agreement with her statements, others looked disdainfully at her. She turned her head to see that Gene's expression hadn't faltered in the least. Was being independent worth this? Was it worth the stress of being screamed at by a disrespectful manager? To subject her body to a misshapen form of what it naturally was not? To feel like a fourth-rate human being that wasn't good enough to perform basic functions?

"You know what? I don't need this." The words came out of her mouth so calmly that it was downright frightening to some of the customers. Wennie removed the apron from around her waist and tossed it on the empty table nearby. "You want to run a dictatorship of a restaurant for a bunch of customers like yourself? Fine. I'm through."

Rick could only stand there and sputter over his words. "You can't quit!"

"I just did." Wennie raised her eyebrows as if to say, 'What a concept!'.

"I-I'm leaving too," Ella stuttered, wiping her face and moved to stand beside Gene. "I've h-had enough s-stress in my life that I c-can't control..."

"You ain't the only one, hun," Gene consoled her gently. Then he looked at Rick. "I'm out as well. And contrary to popular belief, AIDs isn't an airborne disease. Ignorance, it seems, is."

Wennie didn't wait around for Rick to form another protest to her decision. Her feet carried her back to the office, where she collected her belongings and returned to stand beside Gene. Reaching into her purse she pulled out a handkerchief and began to dab lightly at Ella's cheeks as more and more of the "old" staff joined them. She looked up in alarm to see so many of them, and from the collected purses and phones in hands, they were all in agreement.

"And who is going to cook the food?!" Some customer shouted rather rudely at Wennie.

"I don't care," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "If you can continue to sit there and put money in this man's pocket for the things that have been said this evening, then you are just as vile."

There was murmured conversation at many of the booths as the former staff walked past Rick and out the front doors of Cogs and Coins. Rick could only watch, stunned as some of the best-paying customers got up from their seats and left, whether there was food on the table or not. Some of them had placed orders before the storm had taken place, but they weren't about to wait around. The atmosphere and the treatment of the staff wasn't worth feigning ignorance over what they witnessed.

* * *

Wennie walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment, mind still reeling over the thoughts of what transpired earlier. Not only had she stood up to Rick - finally - but she had done what everyone around her wanted her to do in the first place. She quit her job.

The whole concept was mind boggling, as she had never walked away from any challenge before since Angela had passed away. In her mind she was a big girl and could face anything with enough determination, and her foster mother had always said she was stubborn to a fault. From what she had been seeing in her recovered memories this was a trait that went back to her former life as well.

'Six years,' she thought. 'I was a waitress for six years, and in maybe twenty minutes it was gone. How do I deal with this?' Wennie unlocked and entered her apartment silently, hoping that neither Thranduil nor Galion would have heard her come home. They would want her to come eat, and she needed time. 'To do what, exactly? To think?' Tossing her keys on the coffee table, she looked around the living room. In her haste that morning she had left a lot of school materials scattered across the couch, which she set about tidying.

After the majority of the staff had walked out of the restaurant, it was deemed appropriate that they have one last hurrah and dine out as a group. For some of them, like Wennie, this would likely be the last time in a long while that they would get to eat out. Wennie had gotten a ride with Gene over to the chosen establishment, and had called Bernard to tell him where she would be. He had asked her why she wasn't at Cogs and Coins, but she wouldn't say more than that Gene would be dropping her off. She figured he probably knew from the tone of her voice.

It had been a nice outing, even if the circumstances were less than desirable. None of them had wanted to leave, having grown into the place, they had found it a source of comfort. The stress, however, was not something any of them felt was worth staying. Wagers had even been taken as to when Victor would find out about the sudden drop in staff, with the winner getting the benefit of homemade dinner for a week. Wennie declined to play in the game, feeling that if she had won that Galion would be offended. The older ellon had taken it upon himself to feed her overly-filling meals since he had learned she was severely underweight.

After the living room was back in its proper place, Wennie dropped down onto the couch with a sigh. "What do I do now?" she asked the empty room. A sudden beeping from her phone caught her attention, and she tapped the screen to read the new message.

It read, "Are you home?". It was from Legolas.

"Yes," she said in reply.

"Will you come online?" was his next text. "I want to see you".

"Be right there". With that note, Wennie scrambled across the room to get to her laptop and start it up. This hasn't been the first time that Legolas has asked her through text to get online, and he had seen it as a personal challenge when she had mistakenly answered "Just a sec" in the past. The system logo would be going away to reveal the desktop and he would call her to ask why she wasn't in the chatroom. It was his way of teasing her, she quickly discovered.

"There you are, melamin," Legolas said with a smile. "I was about to call you-"

"I figured," Wennie grinned. "What's up?"

"I wanted to see you," he replied. "How was school today?"

Wennie had forgotten that Legolas could see the weird faces she made on the webcam again as she responded. "Well...I might have skipped my first classes of the day to catch up on some of my final papers. But it's okay! I know the material in that class, so I should do fine on the exam!"

Legolas couldn't help but laugh. "You do what you need to, Ithilwen. Just make sure you're ready for your tests. That's what matters. How was work tonight?" He thought it would be good to switch topics, but the slightly pained expression on her face told otherwise. "Ithilwen? Did something happen at work? Did the manager dock your hours again?"

"You...you could say that..."

"Ithilwen, what happened?"

She sighed. "It's a bit of a story-"

"I have all the time you need, love."

There was no getting out of it now. "Okay," she sighed again. "Do you remember when I told you that Rick had cut my hours a few weeks ago? Well...I didn't say why, exactly..." Wennie launched into the story of Rick's new regulations for the employees and the lengths that she had gone to to meet the requirements, and through the webcam window she could see a barely contained rage in Legolas' eyes.

"That...that... _boy_...has no right to deem what is an acceptable model for any employee!" he snarled. "Ithilwen, I know you hate hearing this, but I think you should le-"

"You don't have to tell me anymore, Legolas!" Wennie said loud enough to talk over him. "It's over and done with!"

"What?"

"I quit," she told him. "Earlier this evening. I stepped in to help out one of the new girls, filling in for her shift while she was at an appointment, and when she came in Rick laid into her." Wennie was rambling quickly as she brushed the loose hair out of her eyes. "It turns out she had had a miscarriage, and then Rick chose to fire her on the spot. I stepped in and gave him my opinion of his entire stint at the restaurant, and then it just snowballed from there. Gene got after him, and then Rick made some ignorant insinuations and Gene would have probably killed him if I didn't stop him. And keep in mind this is in the middle of the dinner hour, and the place was pretty full! Basically, I just told him that it wasn't worth the stress it became, and I quit." She let out a small laugh, adding, "Or perhaps I should say we all quit. The majority of the staff walked out right there!"

"You're joking."

"Nope," Wennie shook her head with a manic grin. "I don't know what to do now, Legolas! I worked there for six years and now I'm jobless!"

On her screen Legolas rested his chin in his hands as he studied her. "I have a suggestion," he mumbled, "but I don't think that you'd want to hear it."

"I'm still in college, Legolas," Wennie said, already knowing what his suggestion was. At the moment though, the idea was sorely tempting. "But, you know..." she said slowly, twisting her hair in nervousness, "I did have something I wanted to ask you."

Legolas looked at her curiously. "What is it, love?"

Wennie bit her lip, a light blush coming up in her cheeks. "If...uh...if that offer to come visit you is still open... I'd like to take you up on it."

Eyes widened slightly, Legolas slowly began to grin from ear to ear. "Really? You mean that?"

"Yes," she smiled, "I want to come see you, Legolas."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does it count as reality TV programming if you're watching your own memories play back like home movies?

Wennie had stayed up for hours that night talking to Legolas online, so to say that she was surprised to find herself back in Lothlorien in her dreams with him would have been a lie. A big, fat lie. What was surprising was the excited rush she got when she went to sleep lately, not knowing what was to unfold in her dreams but anticipating what "new" memory she would uncover that night.

The conversation about her quitting her job and the revelation that she'd be coming to spend the holidays in Scotland with him had distracted her from talking about her previous dreams. Legolas had remembered, anxious to hear about which memory she had seen, but he had looked slightly deflated when she went into details. There was something he wasn't about to share, and that only added to Wennie's curiosity.

It seemed that although the setting continued to be Lothlorien, Wennie had been told by the dream-version of Legolas that the Company of Nine would only linger for a while longer. She - and Ithilwen - found this to be disappointing, but for Wennie, the memories were jumping about within the timeframe. It made it hard to judge when they would leave, so she was always looking for clues that might give her a hint. In many of the sequences, if one could call them that, Wennie watched as Legolas would meet her at her talan in the mornings, and walking her back home in the evenings after spending the day together. More often than not, she would see a stout man with reddish hair and beard walk with them through the city. Wennie felt an odd sort of companionship to the dwarf, whom she quickly recalled was Gimli before his name had been spoken. She wondered briefly why Legolas had not mentioned anything of Gimli in their talks. Had he stayed behind in middle-earth?

'That's not right,' she corrected herself. 'I thought I heard Thranduil say that Gimli sailed with Legolas and I to Valinor. Still, how come Legolas never speaks of him? I'll have to ask him the next time we talk.'

She wasn't certain how many different pieces of memory she sifted through that night, but it looked like in each, Legolas was becoming more forward in their friendship. At least, that's how Wennie saw it. He wasn't speaking to her as he does now, but she could see the looks he sent her former self when Ithilwen wasn't looking.

The latest moment between them was taking place on the talan stairs one evening. Gimli had been walking with them, but departed earlier to seek to fill his stomach instead. Legolas walked beside Ithilwen as they ascended the stairs, while Wennie chose to remain a few steps behind. The conversation had changed topics many times, but somehow it had come up that no ellon was seeking to court Ithilwen.

"Are the ellyn in this realm intimidated by your adar?" he asked jokingly.

Ithilwen laughed. "It is either adar or my grandfather, I think," she said as they reached the landing. "There have been talks of me as a quest, but nothing ever comes from it. I am one of the few ellith in the realm my age that have not been courted, and the rest are not of age yet!"

From her vantage point she could see the quick flash of annoyance cross Legolas' eyes at her mention of being a "quest". The words didn't sit well with her either, but it sounded more misogynistic than anything close to egotistical. "You should not think so lowly of yourself, Ithilwen. You are no prize to be won in a competition; you are a beautiful elleth that deserves far better than to be considered a piece of property."

'Damn.' Wennie felt her own face warm at the same time Ithilwen's did. 'He's good.'

"You speak those words so easily," she muttered, "I would not be surprised to hear that you have an elleth waiting for your return in Mirkwood."

"Actually, I do not."

Wennie looked as perplexed as her old self. 'How the hell is that possible?! Panties should be dropping like rocks with words like that!'

"Truly?" Ithilwen sounded doubtful. "How could that be so?"

Legolas gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "There has not been an elleth that has caught my eye."

"Not even one?" Ithilwen's voice quivered slightly as the ellon before her closed the distance between them.

Wennie's eyebrows rose at the sudden movement. Legolas had taken one of Ithilwen's hands in his larger one as they stood toe to toe on the landing, reaching up to cup her face with his other hand. Ithilwen leaned into his touch, looking up at him. Wennie found herself blushing while she watched on as Legolas leaned down to catch Ithilwen's lips in a soft kiss.

'Holy hell, that was quick.' The hand that Legolas had been holding moved to cradle the back of Ithilwen's neck as the kiss continued, and even from where she stood Wennie could hear the small noise of pleasure come from Ithilwen.

The kiss, to everyone's disappointment, came to an end. Legolas smiled down at Ithilwen as she looked up at him with a bright blush and shy smile of her own. Wennie found herself sighing in disappointment as she watched, oddly jealous of her former self in those earlier moments. "I imagine my grandfather would have a fit if he ever heard my first kiss had been with the Prince of Mirkwood!" Ithilwen couldn't help the giggle at the mental image.

Legolas must not have given much thought to the consequences of their actions, because Wennie could see a slight look of panic before it faded. "Somehow I doubt it would compare to what my adar could come up with," he chuckled. It wasn't Lord Celeborn or Haldir's reactions that bothered him, but his own adar, which made Wennie wonder just how Thranduil had taken the news.

"What becomes of us now, Legolas?" Ithilwen asked suddenly, looking unsure.

"I am unsure," he admitted, tilting her face to meet his gaze once more. "But I am willing to go along for the journey, wherever it takes us."

"That sounds like a well thought out plan," she giggled, readily accepting his kisses as he leaned in again.

'So Legolas was my first kiss? I wonder if that's what he wouldn't tell me about earlier tonight," Wennie thought. 'Whatever it was, he really wanted me to remember it and soon...'

* * *

'Okay what the hell.' Wennie spun on the spot and looked around the room, remembering that it was the inside of her old talan. It was night out, going by the glow of moonlight falling through the nearby window, but no one was in sight.

Then she heard sounds.

Curious, Wennie followed the soft sounds through the talan, down its narrow hallway and leading to a far door, where the noise had become progressively louder. Was her former self asleep? She would have found it a bit ironic if Ithilwen had been asleep in her own memories, but that was not what Wennie saw when she opened the door.

Oddly enough, she recognized this room as Ithilwen's bedroom before she fully comprehended that Ithilwen and Legolas were engaged in a heated liplock on the bed. When it dawned on her, Wennie found herself blushing out of embarrassment, even though neither had ever seen her watching them before in the dreams. She was beginning to think this was a habit reaction.

Legolas had Ithilwen wrapped in his arms as they sat perched on the bed's edge, and Wennie couldn't help but feel a tad jealous of her former self for the attention she was getting. His hands ghosted a path along Ithilwen's sides and back up, occasionally stopping to caress one of her curves. Ithilwen would respond with soft moans against his mouth as her own hands traced the hard plans of his chest, hidden by his tunic.

'What is wrong with me?' she thought, 'That _is_ me!'

Still, that didn't mean that Wennie wouldn't trade places with Ithilwen in a heartbeat. She watched on as Legolas' hands slipped down Ithilwen's sides to stop at her hips, and with a firm grip, pulled her into his lap so that her legs draped across his. This gave Legolas better access to hold Ithilwen to him as they kissed, and the elleth's noises of approval were evident.

Yeah, Wennie would have _gladly_ traded places right then.

Their lips parted briefly, and while Legolas' traced the edge of Ithilwen's jaw, one of his hands had moved to lift the skirts of her gown. Wennie's eyes widened as the hem slowly began to bunch up where his wrist pushed against it.

'He's not-'

The gasp that came from Ithilwen then, followed by a particularly loud moan of Legolas' name made it evident of his intentions. "Oh Legolas!" Ithilwen gasped, jolting in his lap in surprise.

'He did!' Wennie was positive she was going to be permanently flushed. 'I can't believe I'm watching this! I mean I know it's me and we're supposed to be married now, but- the last time I checked in we had had our first kiss! Was I that easy or did things progress that much that quickly between us?!'

Ithilwen's moans increased as Legolas' hidden hand continued its ministrations beneath her gown, and despite Wennie's uncomfortable feeling of voyeurism in her own memories, she still found herself jealous. The former elleth's head had lolled back onto his shoulder, while Legolas continued to lavish his attentions to the column of her neck and the hidden wonderland between her thighs.

'This is wrong. This is wrong. This is _sooo_ wrong!'

Ithilwen looked to be oblivious to everything else in the world as Legolas gave her a new multitude of feelings and pleasure right then. He would move between leaving kisses along her neck to return to her lips, asking her between kisses if she was enjoying what he was doing. All she could respond with were gasps and his name.

'Jeez, someone's gonna hear me if I don't shut up!' Wennie was beginning to wonder if others existed in the memories she was reliving, because it was a wonder no one had come to check on Ithilwen with the noises she was making. The elleth was practically bucking in Legolas' lap, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was close. The elf could only smirk as he held tighter to her.

Wennie was convinced that watching Legolas tease her former self was like watching a car accident; looking away was impossible, especially when Ithilwen arched in his arms, calling out his name in a low moan as she peaked. 'Okay,' she swallowed. ' _THAT_ was quick. Maybe that's what Legolas wouldn't tell me about?!'

* * *

After the last surprising turn of events, Wennie was afraid to see what would happen next in her dreams.

This time it was daylight, and appeared to be early morning. Wennie saw Ithilwen with a group of elven attendants near Legolas and the rest of the Company. She stood holding a folded mass of fabric in her hands, which turned out to be a long cloak that was draped around Legolas' shoulders. Legolas was smiling softly down at her as she affixed the Lorien leaf brooch to hold the cloak at his neck.

'Really girl?!' Wennie could only look on at herself in exasperation. 'Legolas goes 'Mister Magic Fingers' on you and you still smile like a shy schoolgirl? What in the hell does it take for him to do that won't make you blush- you know I'm not sure I want the answer to that right now.'

From the conversation that was going on around her, Wennie could only assume that they were to depart the realm that day. That was really disappointing, because despite the last sequence she relived, Wennie had gotten used to seeing him in Lothlorien. She followed as was her custom when Ithilwen led Legolas away from the group for a private chat.

"What becomes of us now?" Ithilwen looked sadly at the water where the boats were being loaded with supplies.

"I am uncertain," was Legolas' response. Wennie frowned, not liking that answer. "When the evil has been destroyed...when this is all over, I will come for you Ithilwen. I wish for you to meet my adar and naneth, to come visit my home."

"Will your adar even accommodate me, given my lineage?"

"He will have to. You will be my guest." Legolas bent to kiss her gently on the lips. Wennie looked around then, surprised to see that he had done so in open company, but no one was paying them a speck of attention. Perhaps this was an open relationship? "I will make him understand that you are your own person. It may take time, but he will see the lovely elleth that I see before me."

Ithilwen smiled for the first time during this talk. "I do not expect miracles, Legolas. I will understand if the King does not approve of me, if ever."

"My naneth will adore you. She can aid me in convincing him." Legolas kissed her once more, this time with more urgency and longing. Wennie had a feeling that this would be the last kiss they would share for a long time. "I promise you, Ithilwen. I will return to court you properly."

Wennie stood beside Ithilwen as she watched Legolas finally leave to join the rest of the Company in loading the last of the supplies. He paused once after assisting Gimli into the boat they would share, turning to take one last look at Ithilwen. Wennie felt her own eyes fill with tears as she watched the silent exchange between them. Somehow this hurt more than the misunderstanding news she had heard about a younger Legolas never writing to Ithilwen again.

* * *

"Penneth, we understand that there has been a...ah..."

"Romance, Haldir."

"Yes," the marchwarden swallowed. "Romance...between yourself and Legolas. Your naneth and I are content to see that you are happy, and we wish for nothing but you to be happy. However..."

"What your adar is saying is that we do not want to see you become heartbroken in the event that things do not transpire as you and he would like."

Wennie stood off to the side of the living quarters of what she assumed was her parent's talan. Both of her parents were sitting across from Ithilwen, giving her looks of concern. 'How long has it been since Legolas left? It looks like they're afraid he won't make it back. Or is it because of the King? Had he found out already?'

Ithilwen's hands twisted into each other as she sighed. "I understand that, Naneth. Adar. The likelihood of getting approval from anyone about Legolas' wish to court me is impossible-"

"That is untrue," Morwen corrected her. "Haldir and I both approve of Legolas! He is a fine ellon, and we can see just how happy you are when you speak of him."

"Yet Grandfather and King Thranduil will put and end to anything before it begins," Ithilwen continued. "Legolas spoke so confidently before he left, but...I just do not know anymore. It has been months since we have seen each other, and with each piece of news I hear I grow more fearful for him." The movements of her hands stilled, and Ithilwen looked up at her parents with her head held high. "It is not that I fear his return, but that I fear the consequences of our feelings."

Morwen inclined her head, studying her daughter. Wennie took a step closer to the group. "What are you trying to tell us, Ithilwen?"

"I am in love with Legolas," she said, and Wennie could see that everything in her demeanor screamed that this was the first time she admitted it out loud. Ithilwen's eyes had a tinge of fear that they would disapprove of this development, assuming it was a flight of fancy crush. "I love him, and I do not know how I could live without him if we were barred from seeing each other ever again."

Haldir's head drooped in defeat, but Wennie could see that it was more of the fatherly acknowledgment that his child had grown up. Morwen reached across and patted Ithilwen's hands gently. Even without words she could tell that they still approved, and had given her all of their support for the future. Still, it made Wennie wonder just what could have happened with Thranduil if his former demeanor was the cold, ruthless king that had been mentioned in the dreams. 'Especially now that he's all nice,' she thought. 'Did it take me dying to make him change his tune, or is it all a ruse?'

* * *

The next scene that Wennie found herself dropped in was within the hidden glade of her grandmother. She was disappointed when she realized this, but her memories must have dictated that it was of importance if she was seeing it before anything else. Looking around, the large space was supplied with various pieces of weaponry, a far cry from the peaceful atmosphere it normally provided. When Wennie turned back, she could see Ithilwen standing with her cousin Silivrenniel. They weren't dressed in their customary gowns that day, instead wearing baggy tunics and leggings tucked into boots. 'They look like they've seen better days,' Wennie thought. 'I wonder what's going on.'

A noise from her left alerted Wennie that Galadriel had entered into the glade, followed closely by-

"Bernard?!" Wennie blurted out loud. Her voice went unnoticed, as she expected, but it was still bizarre to see her college friend and cousin dressed like an elf. His hair was still the curly mess she saw each day at school, only it was pulled back out of his face to expose his pointed ears. At his hip was a long sword, and in his hands were a quiver of arrows and bow. 'Hang on, I thought he was living in Riv...Riven-Rivendell! That's it! I thought he was there!'

If she was hoping for an explanation for her other cousin's presence, she didn't receive it, so it must have been anticipated. Galadriel instead moved to greet her granddaughters before she got to the matter at hand.

"The number of our guard may have been impacted by the decision to assist the Men of the Hornburg, but the realm's safety continues to be stable." The older elleth looked over each of the younglings before her. "Your decision is not one to be made lightly, and as such, you both run the risk of disobeying the commands of your adar. Our meetings will remain confidential, however this is a choice only you can make. Do you wish to continue?"

Wennie looked to Ithilwen and Silivrenniel for any hints of what Galadriel was talking about, but both women's expressions were solid. 'Whatever is going on is big, and I don't know about Fiona, but my face looks like it's ready to go to war- Oh fuck no-!'

"Grandmother," Ithilwen spoke up. "I know that Adar does not wish me to see the light of battle, but as the daughter of the captain I simply cannot sit idly by without the knowledge that I can protect our people if the situation were to arise."

"I agree with Ithilwen, Grandmother," Silivrenniel responded. "Would it not be better to have able-bodied ellith battle-ready within the city if it's defenses are breached?"

"You both speak as if you have so little faith in your guardsmen," Veryamorcon said with a hint of irritation.

Galadriel lifted a hand to stop the argument she sensed was about to break out between the three. "They make a solid argument, Veryamorcon." She smiled, almost conspiratorially. Wennie instantly knew her grandmother had some scheme hidden up those insanely long sleeves of her gown. "If the both of you are willing to undergo the training regime, I will be happy to prepare you for battle."

'Wait, Grandma can fight?' Wennie looked lost. 'I'm gonna have to ask Thranduil about that, I think.'

"You will teach us?" Silivrenniel asked, and from the tone she was as surprised as Wennie.

Their grandmother continued to smile. "Of course I will, but I will not be alone." She motioned to Bernard, and he moved to stand beside her. "Training will begin immediately. It will be rough, painful, and you will likely voice your displeasure with me. You may even wish to forfeit your desires before we are finished. If you chose to end your training, you only have to ask of it from me. I will let you return to your own activities, and we will speak no further of what took place here. Do you understand?"

"Yes Grandmother," both Ithilwen and Silivrenniel said with determination.

Wennie smacked her forehead in defeat. So her former self was getting trained in combat by her grandmother and cousin while Legolas was escorting a hobbit to a mountain to destroy a ring. This memory couldn't have happened earlier in her initial recollections. No, it had to happen just as she was discovering that what Ithilwen was experiencing in the memories was impacting her own emotions! She was already missing the sinfully delightful moments between them, and the training hadn't begun yet! Was there a way to fast forward through her memories?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're taught not to hit others with sticks as children. As adults, no one ever said it was against the rules to hit a microwave moving across the floor with a crowbar. Or a grenade.

A lot of firsts were happening for Wennie in her dreams lately.

She thought the biggest would have been the vouyerism she experienced between her former self, Legolas, and his wandering hands.

Perhaps being _in_ the middle of a battle filled with creatures that could have only been recreated by skilled special effects artists _as_ her former self made the top of that list.

Wennie wasn't even sure how it happened. In the previous nights she had dreams where she watched herself train with her cousin and grandmother in Lorien. Which, she was surprised to learn, wasn't a cakewalk. In fact, her grandmother could be a ruthless warrior when she took a notion. But this night...this night she had been dropped into the scenario as well as into the body of Ithilwen, dressed in lightweight elven armor and weapons, riding horseback to some unknown destination. When she looked around her for some form of clue, she saw her mother, cousin, and grandmother dressed similarly. Further down the line she could see her grandfather, and though she missed the words they exchanged in the memory, she could tell from his expression that he didn't want her to be there.

'Guess it makes sense,' Wennie thought. 'I wonder how thrilled he was to find out that his wife was training their grandchildren for combat?' The odds were not in favor of him supporting her, apparently.

Suddenly he had addressed the three ellith in their native tongue, and while Wennie wouldn't normally have made sense of the language, the orders were clear: guard the Lady of Lorien. Now whether it was an order to protect their grandmother or an order to keep them together for safety was anyone's guess. Wennie hadn't been given enough time to mull over the implications when the enemy had appeared.

They were dark, grimy, and absolutely grotesque in appearance, and Wennie would have felt that they might have resembled the Klingon language had she not been moving in autopilot. For a brief moment Wennie was terrified that she could die in this dream, having had no knowledge of warfare in her modern life, but it was pointless. It seemed that Galadriel's training had paid off, since Ithilwen's body was swinging the sword in hand with a deadly accuracy.

Wennie was just along for the ride, so to speak.

It was bad enough to be riding through the swarms of mutated goblin-like things. Things became terrifying when she saw spiders emerge from the woods.

'Holy fuck they're the size of a fucking Hummer!'

These things weren't normal, and seeing them only made Wennie dislike Spiderman and Peter Parker all the more. It seemed that whatever had brought out the goblin-knockoffs had also called in the spiders.

'Great,' she thought sarcastically as Ithilwen's sword cut through the throat of another creature, 'What's next? Zombified clowns?'

A horn was blown in the distance, and it proved to be a decent distraction for the next victim of Ithilwen's sword. While the arm was shaking off the excess blood from the blade, Wennie was more focused on trying to figure out where the noise came from. Moments later, and a mass of something was billowing out of the woods' borders to merge with the chaos. Wennie was silently praying that whatever it was was on their side, especially since its leader was a large moose barreling through the goblin-men.

'Crocs? No, that doesn't sound right. Or-ch...Orcs? Is that what they're calling them?' It was hard to be certain, since she couldn't make heads or tails of the elven language. 'Jesus Christ I'm a disgrace to my people,' Wennie thought.

Whomever the other elegantly-dressed warriors were, or what side they were on, she knew enough that they were killing the spiders and...orcs...and that was good enough for her. Wennie - or rather Ithilwen - had been given direct orders to stay on her horse no matter what, but the fighting around her was making it hard to do. Twice she had nearly been pulled off the saddle, and with the third attempt Ithilwen's leg left the stirrup to roundhouse kick the orc that had made a grab for her ankle. For poor Wennie, being on a horse in the middle of a battle with one foot secured was a bit much for her anxiety, but she was thanking every Power that Be for not being the one responsible in this moment.

She had also been within feet of her grandmother for the duration of the fight, also a specific order, but Wennie couldn't help but wonder who was protecting whom in retrospect. Galadriel was far more lethal than she ever was with Ithilwen and Silivrenniel during training, and that was just basic combat techniques. It wasn't until Wennie saw the aura around her grandmother change that she understood. They were given these strict orders because her grandmother's magical talents, as strong as they were, also posed a vulnerable point in her defenses.

Things changed when Wennie saw another elf in danger of becoming cleaved from behind. It seemed that Ithilwen had picked up on this as well, for her arms nocked and shot two arrows simultaneously from her bow and into the head and neck of the orc. It was a risky move, because not only did Ithilwen disobey a direct command from her ruling Lord, but she also could have struck the elf if the orc had moved the wrong way. The pause to fire the shots had set her further out from her task, and while Ithilwen's body steered the horse to rejoin her party, Wennie only got a glimpse of long white-blond hair and sparkling silver armor of the elf that she had saved.

* * *

The battle had ended, and so had Wennie's first-hand experience in her former body. It was a relief, and not something she wished to repeat, unless of course it was under different circumstances. Anything but fighting orcs and spiders.

She was tagging behind Ithilwen once again as the elleth crossed the area to survey the damage. Everywhere there were piles of orc carcasses that were to be carted off and burned, and the hulk-sized spiders were being gutted to destroy any egg sacks. As disgusting as those sights and smells were, it was much worse to see firsthand the fatalities of war. Warriors that had devoted their time, energy, and very lives to protecting their land lay everywhere. Wennie had been horrified to discover that some that she thought were deceased were in fact very much alive and begging for death to take their pain.

'Is this what Legolas saw in the war?' Wennie thought sadly. 'I don't know how he did it; I don't even see how _I_ managed to handle it-'

"Who are you?" A voice suddenly asked. Wennie nearly came out of her skin at the question, only to realize that the voice was addressing Ithilwen.

"I am Ithilwen of Lorien," her former self replied, turning to face the voice's owner. Wennie turned as well, noticing that it was another elleth who spoke to her. She was dressed in greens and browns, with a hip-fastened quiver and very long red hair. "Whom am I speaking with?"

If the other elleth detected any hint of suspicion in Ithilwen's voice, they didn't show it. Instead, the redhead inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. "My brother has spoken fondly of you, Lady Ithilwen."

"Your brother?"

"My brother Legolas," the elleth answered. "I am his elder sister Tauriel, and your name is the talk of the kingdom as of late."

Wennie moved to stand between the pair, partly to listen, and mostly to get a closer look at her sister-in-law. 'Those vlogs really don't do her complexion justice,' she thought. 'Not only that, but she doesn't resemble Legolas very much, if at all!'

"You look nothing like your brother."

Wennie sucked in a breath, waiting for the responding insult. 'Damn, old-me. Way to be blunt.'

Tauriel, instead of taking offense to Ithilwen's words, actually smiled. "I have been told that I favor my naneth more than I do my adar, and Legolas is much the opposite. I think I shall have to speak to my brother when he returns to Greenwood, for it seems that he has neglected to speak of his own kin to the elleth that he is enamored with." She paused just long enough to direct some of her warriors to other areas of the once-battlefield before turning back to Ithilwen. "My adar does not approve of you as a viable mate for my brother," she added, "however, I do not share his sentiments on the matter. Your skill in battle is remarkable, and if my adar were to admit it, he would agree that your sure shots saved him from perishing."

Ithilwen looked surprised at that admission, and Wennie wasn't positive it was because Thranduil didn't like her. Silence hung in the air between the three as this information was being processed, and the longer it was quiet the more shocked Ithilwen appeared.

"I believe you are mistaken," Ithilwen said carefully. "The warrior I saved this day was just that."

The redhead only smiled a little more, as if she were trying to explain something to a small child. "King Thranduil was present on the battlefield, my lady, and it was yourself that shot the orc that would have dealt a most fatal strike. I was witness to the act, however I could not reach the king in time. My adar recognized the fletching of the arrows that lay in the orc as those of a Lorien warrior, and I was the one to tell him of their owner's identity."

'Holy shit. So she's telling me that I actually saved Thranduil?! That doesn't sound right!' Wennie saw that the two ellith continued to speak in the dream, however she could not hear anything. She had hoped to find out where Thranduil was on the battlefield so that she could confront him, even if she was a spirit in a dream that couldn't be seen or heard. She just had to know.

* * *

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Wennie had woken shortly after the dream faded to darkness, leaving her laying in bed with unanswered questions and a mighty need to have them answered. Forgoing changing clothes and even the light cotton bathrobe, she had run across the hall in her pajamas and began to bang on the door to Thranduil and Galion's apartment.

Galion had been the one to answer, still dressed in his sleep attire as well. "Good morning, my lady," he said as he let her in. "You are up particularly early this Thanksgiving morn."

"Right, Happy Thanksgiving Galion. Where's Thranduil? I need to talk to him."

The former attendant motioned to the kitchen table, where the ellon sat with a cup of coffee and a magazine. He didn't bother to look up from his current page, even as Wennie stood there tapping her foot impatiently.

"So what's this about you not liking me and me saving your life?"

Thranduil glanced up to see that she was staring down at him with her arms crossed, and from the look in her eyes she didn't intend on getting a weak answer. He sighed softly, gesturing for her to sit down. As she did so, Galion snuck a cup of coffee and plate of eggs and sausage before her.

"Well?" Wennie watched him expectantly as she began to eat. It had gotten to be a habit of Galion's to set food in front of her, and she knew better than to argue, especially that early in the morning.

"You must understand that my feelings toward you and your kin are no longer the feelings that I had then," Thranduil began. "I fear that this is a rather long story-"

"Which perhaps you might wish to water down for Ithilwen's benefit," Galion interjected, bringing his own plate to the table.

Thranduil shot him a brief look, and Wennie merely looked between them, wondering just how complicated this history was. The former king looked down, then back at her before starting again. "I think, the best way to tell this story is to explain a few key points. Back in the first age, a great number of Sindarin elves resided in Doriath, my father , our king, held a great distrust of the Noldor, and refused to allow entry to any. This was due in part to the seven sons of Fëanor, whom were a lot with an unhealthy desire for a set of gems crafted by their father. To put it bluntly, these gems could be compared to the root of all evil."

"You're joking."

"Kinslaying isn't a joke, I'm afraid, and it is an act that has only happened three times in our race."

"So how does this tie in with how you used to dislike me, then?"

"Your grandmother, through a very complicated family tree, was essentially Fëanor's half-niece. That does not mean there was civil words between them, however, but he crafted the gems in the hopes that he could replicate the beauty of her hair. Don't look at me like that Ithilwen, I am aware this story does not make sense-"

Galion piped in with his opinion. "I believe that is a look that cannot fathom why someone would kill over gems that were inspired by hair, sir."

"I'm guessing you had a problem with my grandma's hair, too?"

Thranduil shook his head. "Don't be preposterous. No, my insecurities lay within her talents, but I will get to that. Doriath, if you will recall, was exclusive to Sindarin elves. When one of the gems were stolen and brought to Doriath, so came the sons to collect it. As a result, the people of Doriath had to flee as their home was brought down, and ultimately the lands of Beleriand."

"You mean they sacked the lands looking for a gemstone?"

"Oh it was much worse than that," Galion supplied. "The whole of Beleriand was a war zone because a higher power of evil had been seeking to control middle-earth and corrupt it. That is another story entirely however, and once you regain all of your memories I imagine you will understand Thranduil's tale better."

"So what happened to Beleriand and Doriath then? Was it ever rebuilt?"

"Hardly," Thranduil snorted. "It sunk in the sea after an extensive war." He paused to take a drink of his coffee, mulling over how he could best word this next part of the story. "You know now that my father lived in a kingdom that was un-accepting of Noldor, which Galadriel is partly. You also know now that her distant relations were batshit crazy and fueled by a lust for gemstones, thereby making her name alone suspicious to some elves in Doriath. My father was one of them, and as a youngling I was instilled with the same prejudices he held. Now Celeborn, your grandfather, also lived in Doriath. Come to it, Galadriel resided there as well. It was where they first met."

Wennie's head was spinning. Most of it didn't make sense to her, despite his attempts, but she'd try to understand. "So what I'm hearing is that you were raised to not like the Noldor elves. My grandmother is part Noldor, and my grandfather fell in love with her when Doriath was still above sea level?"

"Yes. Your grandfather is a Sindarin elf, like myself. Galadriel is also part Teleri on her father's side; Noldo and Vanyar on her mother's."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that her bloodline is comprised of the Three Originals that Eru had woken. It is more of prestige in social circles, but then our people have a bad history of arguments." Galion grinned at Ithilwen then. "We are the reason that family reunions are a bad idea."

"Okay, so no one can get along." 'Now the lack of approval from Thranduil back then makes sense.' "But how does that apply to you not liking me?"

"Celeborn took offense to my distrust of his wife. It is not that we were never speaking, but any formalities exchanged were few, brief, and very far between. Remember how I said that my own father had raised me to not trust a Noldor? By extension, and a very small amount of your bloodline, you are also a Noldorin elf." Thranduil frowned. "When I had been informed that you were being courted by Legolas, I became suspicious of your motives. I assumed that you were a carbon copy of your grandmother, and I was greatly mistaken. At the time, I could only see what I had been taught."

"That's...it?" Wennie looked back and forth between them in disbelief. "That's why you didn't like me? Because I might have taken after my grandma?"

Thranduil wasn't looking at her. "Yes."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?!"

"Would you have believed me, had I? The background information was necessary for you to understand why-"

"-And I still don't get half of it-"

"-But you will in time," he finished. "As it was, you began to change my opinion the day Celeborn and I met to divide the woods between our realms. You promptly marched into the room and recounted - in impressive detail I might add - how the faults of kin you had never met did not warrant my displeasure with you. I believe your grandfather was a mixture of feeling appalled at your actions and pride in that you did your research."

Wennie groaned in embarrassment and let her head fall forward onto the table. Even in her past life she was a bookworm. Knowing that her kind had trumped any war in the modern world - just within their own people - had been bad enough.

'Most people learn about how the settlers in the New World were taken pity on by the Native Americans on Thanksgiving. I learn about how fucked up our ancestors were.'

* * *

The rest of the morning went more smoothly once Wennie had a cup of coffee in her system and had gone back to her apartment to get dressed. She felt slightly foolish when she reflected on how she barged into their apartment so early, and it only made her feel worse because Thranduil was so understanding. It wasn't how he had hoped she would remember - if he even wanted her to remember that part of the past - but it was also something that he had been avoiding himself.

What he neglected to tell her was the immense guilt he felt after her passing in Valinor; of how he had been so stubborn for so long in accepting her. Of course no one could have foreseen such a rare accident happening, but it still didn't help the regret he dealt with for all of the missed opportunities. That was the sole reason why he had volunteered to travel to San Francisco when they had their newest lead in finding her. Thranduil wanted to make up for that lost time that he had spent shunning her by reconnecting with his daughter-in-law. He would not make the same mistake twice.

Wennie felt a little better about her dreams when she returned to their apartment about an hour later. Showered, dressed, and with her laptop under arm, she met up with Bernard as he came up the stairs. He had told her the day before when he called to bring it with her, but he wouldn't say why.

"Now will you tell me why you asked me to bring this?" she asked as they settled in the living room. Galion had insisted that he handle the dinner, despite her offers to help, telling her to relax for once. Thranduil had taken a seat with them, his own laptop sitting closed on the coffee table. "Holidays are usually meant to interact with family, you know."

"And we are," he said distractedly, making sure all the connections were secured with the three devices. Bernard motioned for her to boot up her laptop impatiently.

"What does that mean?"

"Just get your computer going so I can connect to it and install the software already."

Wennie looked over to Thranduil questioningly, but he was keeping tight-lipped about the situation as well.

When the desktop had finished loading, Bernard grabbed the laptop and placed it by his own, setting about installing whatever it was he wasn't telling her about. It's not that she didn't trust him, because he had saved her old laptop from imminent death in the past, but she wouldn't be surprised to hide a Rick Roll prank somewhere in her files. As soon as Bernard finished, he turned the laptop back to Wennie with a smug look on his face. "We are interacting with family, Ithilwen. We're gonna play Prop Hunt."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a game of hide and seek, but with props and hunters instead," he explained. "You're either an object or a hunter, and in order for your team to win you have to kill the other."

"How does an object kill a hunter? Do you turn into a brick and fly at their head?"

Thranduil snorted. "If only," he said. "No, if the hunter attacks the wrong object, it will do damage to themselves. They are given two guns, a crowbar, and a grenade to attack with. It is more beneficial to use the crowbar in my experience."

"You've played this?"

"I have, and I will again today."

"Thranduil's a pretty good shot though," Bernard added, "If he's a hunter, don't let him fool you otherwise. Now, if you're a prop, you've got thirty seconds to pick an object to mimic and hide. If you go too big it makes it harder to move undetected, but if you go too small you also run the risk of getting stuck in the map. We'll log in and do a few practice rounds on the server so you can get a feel for the game while the others get ready."

"Others? We're playing other people?!" Wennie had played her share of MMOs in the past, and in her early experience had accidentally run into the player versus player environments. It hadn't gone well at all.

"Well yeah," Bernard said. "You thought it was just going to be us three? That'd be a pretty short game, especially if there's only one prop!"

"I expected you to be more excited to learn that Legolas was joining us today. He'll be crushed to hear this..."

Wennie looked back at the older ellon. "Legolas is playing too?"

Thranduil nodded. "As is his sister, your cousins Elladan and Elrohir, and Glorfindel." He turned his attention to Bernard. "Are the microphones and speakers enabled, or should I begin looking for headphones?"

"No need," a new voice said, and one that made Wennie's heart skip a beat in excitement. "I can hear you plain as day, Adar."

'Get a grip, Wennie,' she chided herself. 'It's just Legolas's voice! It's not like he's in the room with you!'

'But he will be soon enough,' another part of her mind said. 'You did agree to go to Scotland for Christmas after all...'

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she missed the directions Bernard had been giving her about the game. Wennie shook her head to chase the thoughts away. This wasn't the time to daydream about what was to come in a few weeks. It was time to play the game!

"Isn't Tauriel joining us?" Bernard asked as they waited for the current environment to load for Wennie's practice.

"She'll be around shortly," Legolas said. "She had to pick up the younglings from school. I'm not sure when the twins or Glorfindel will show, however."

Wennie couldn't help but ask, even though she hardly knew the children. "How are they doing?"

"They are doing very well," Legolas told her. "They are very excited to meet you, Ithilwen. I couldn't hold off telling them the good news."

"In other words he probably shouted so loudly through the castle that he woke them up," Thranduil smirked. He knew his son too well to expect anything less when Wennie had told him that she intended to visit.

"I did not!"

"You said 'fuck yes!' so loudly that I heard you down the hall," a new voice said, definitely more feminine. "I was putting my children to bed, and it was _such fun_ to explain to them that their uncle had not in fact lost his mind!"

'That must be Tauriel,' Wennie realized. 'The sarcasm of a sibling is unlike any other apparently.'

* * *

"The bucket is moving!"

"No it's not! No it's not!"

"Lies! The bucket is moving, I swear!"

The first few rounds of Prop Hunt had drug along slowly, mainly for Wennie's benefit. It wouldn't have been fair to jump in and play as they regularly had without allowing her time to grasp the controls. Still, this didn't mean that Wennie got off easy. In fact, she found out very quickly that she was terrible at picking objects and hiding. When it came to hunting, on the other hand, she had been an incredible shot.

"What the hell?!" she cried out in disbelief as her microwave had been blown to bits. "How did you even find me?!"

"Because you were laughing," Legolas snickered, taking delight in her protests otherwise. "It was an easy tell, mela."

"Don't get discouraged, Ithilwen," Tauriel's voice said comfortingly. "Legolas practically giggles when he thinks he's found a good hiding place-"

"I do not-!"

"Oh you did so!" Elladan's voice chimed in. "We spent most of that round going past your ass and you didn't shut up once!"

"It might be to Ithilwen's benefit if one of you monkeys would explain," Glorfindel added.

"Right, sorry I forgot," Elladan said. "We were in this warehouse environment and _YOUR_ _husband_ thought it was _fucking hilarious_ to turn into a plank of wood and stand against a pile of construction material."

Elrohir hopped in to add to the story. "Dan over here found him first, when there was about ten seconds left of the round. Glorfindel had been an easy kill; all he had to do was fall off the roof-"

"A trait that he continues to exhibit," Elladan teased.

Wennie had nearly been in tears over the twin's stories, so much so that she left her milk carton-self unguarded and was shot down by Bernard. She wasn't very familiar with what happened in Glorfindel's past, but his response about "falling off a cliff _one_ time and never living it down" had made her laugh harder than she should have.

"I wouldn't imagine you falling down a cliff would let you live," she grinned before falling back into laughter.

"Just you wait, hot shot! You're not going to be in California forever!"

The round had ended with the hunters taking the win, and the next environment was being set up. Wennie reached for her drink on the table to take a sip, and she couldn't resist tempting fate with her next question. "Oh really? What if I am?"

Thankfully for her, she knew that Legolas had interpreted her words as a joke. It wasn't common knowledge to _all_ of them that she was visiting for Christmas, so she had some room to play around. According to Legolas, only Tauriel, their naneth, and the younglings had been told that she had decided to visit, but it would only be a matter of time before the rest knew.

"You really think Legolas will let you hide away in Californ-i-a?" the former captain of Imladris asked.

Wennie had been dropped into the game as a hunter for the current round, and had been creeping about to look around as the props went to hide. "It's a big state," she said casually, ducking into another room. "It would take him a while to find me."

"I highly doubt that," Glorfindel continued. "He's like a bloodhound right now. Except of course, you know, instead of following his nose, he's following his d-"

"Finish that sentence and I will finish you," Legolas growled. He really didn't want his mate to know how bad off in that department he had been without her, and his adar's snickering only made his irritation grow.

"Now now, brother. You know kinslaying isn't allowed." Tauriel didn't even sound worried, which made Wennie wonder just how often teasing like this occurred.

"Then I'll make it illegal to have sex in the castle!"

"What?!" came a chorus of male shrieks.

"I am the head of house, so to speak," Legolas said smugly.

Wennie's finger tapped a key on her keypad to switch from the crowbar to the grenade, having seen some movement in the distance of the room. She had been listening intently to this turn of events, and had snorted out loud at the shrieking, but she wasn't going to pass up this opportunity, even if it was a long shot. With a quick toss of the grenade by her character, it disappeared. A few seconds later, her screen shook and a cloud of smoke appeared where it landed.

"What. The. Ever-loving. Clusterfuck."

"What's the matter?" Wennie asked innocently.

Glorfindel was sputtering. "That was YOU?!"

"What was?" Bernard asked, confused. He had looked up to see his cousin grinning like a Cheshire cat that had caught the canary. Across from her, Thranduil was trying to hold in his laughter.

"You mean you didn't see that fucking explosion?!"

"No, I was the standing lamp over by the door to the office!"

Tauriel couldn't hold in her laughter, however. "I saw it," she managed to get out. "Ithilwen you've got good aim!"

"It was you!" Glorfindel shouted.

"I never said it wasn't," Wennie responded in the same innocent tone. "Really, Glorfindel, you should keep your eyes open to what's going on around you instead of making crude jokes about my husband." Her mind froze temporarily when she realized what she had said, but she couldn't take it back. Not that she'd want to, anyway; it was a fact, but something about them teasing Legolas like they were had rubbed her the wrong way.

Legolas' character had joined Wennie and Tauriel's at the spot where the explosion happened, and all that remained of Glorfindel's prop had been a splatter of blood on the floor. "It appears I don't have to ban sex at the castle," he said smugly. "My mate can just throw a grenade at you lot to keep you in line."

"What were you, anyway?" Wennie hadn't seen exactly what he was.

"I was a short filing cabinet," Glorfindel pouted.

"Really?"

"Yes, really! Y-You mean you didn't see me?!"

"No, I just saw something move in that room. For all I knew I thought you were the desk chair!"

The arguments, wails of disbelief, and half-hearted insults continued to get tossed around as the game continued. Galion had come over to refill their glasses of tea, and had discreetly inquired as to how things were going to Thranduil.

"Very well," Thranduil had replied, just as shouts came from the younger elves across from him. "I think that when it comes time to fly back home, she won't have to worry about not fitting in. Ithilwen already sounds like she once was among her family."

* * *

There had been a short break for the dinner that Galion had prepared, and even though the others didn't celebrate the holiday, they had broke off to take care of personal matters for the time being. When they reconvened, Wennie had been introduced to Trouble in Terrorist Town, and had picked this game up far easier than the first. They had learned quickly that she was a loose canon with a gun and had taken some outrageous risks. But the evening had come, and both she and Bernard had to cut out of the game in order to get some sleep.

At least, Bernard did. Legolas still wanted to talk with Wennie privately before she went to sleep.

And so it was that she sat in bed with her laptop, dressed and ready to sleep. It had been almost a week since they had last spoken through video chat, and Wennie found that she couldn't deny him a little bit of time. He had asked her about her memories, as per usual, and she had delivered in spades this time around. She told him about seeing the moments where she was told she wouldn't receive any more of his letters and when they had met again in Lorien with her none-too-happy response for him. Legolas had visibly withdrawn at those memories; they weren't some of the more happier ones for either of them. Wennie also described witnessing their first kiss all over again, as well as other...firsts.

"I don't know the span of time between these memories Legolas, so you'll have to tell me. Was I that easy, or were you guys in Lorien longer than I thought? I mean that's not something you just _do_ to someone!" Wennie's face had flushed uncontrollably as she recounted the memory. "It's not like you were scratching my back!"

"No," Legolas was grinning widely now. "But I did make you-"

"I was there!" she shrieked, hiding her face. "I saw it!"

He couldn't help but laugh at the entire thing. "We are married, Ithilwen. We've done a lot more than that!"

"I get that," Wennie groaned, slumping back against her pillows. She was doomed to blush about this whether she wanted to or not. "That still doesn't help-"

"Well when you come over here for Christmas I can help you-"

"Legolas, _please_."

"I'm sorry, melleth." It didn't look like he was sorry though. "To answer you, we were there for a while to regain our bearings after Moria's disaster. You must also understand that during that amount of time we were together, we had fallen for each other. That little act you saw isn't as uncommon as you might think."

Wennie nodded. "I also saw myself telling my parents that I had fallen in love with you after you left," she said softly. "I think it was the first time I said it..."

"We didn't admit our feelings to each other officially until after the war," Legolas informed her. "But I knew when I left Lorien that day. At the time, it wasn't necessary for either of us to actually say the words."

She found herself smiling at that. "I still can't say it out loud today though," she sighed. It seemed like such a let down after calling him her husband earlier.

"I don't expect you to," Legolas' words were sincere. "When you are ready, you will know. We've found each other again, Ithilwen, and we have an eternity to return to what we were. Now," he paused, adjusting his position in his own bed. "What happens next for you?"

"You mean with school?" Wennie saw Legolas nod. "Well, Bernard and I have finals in the first week of December, and I won't be able to leave until after. I've got one of my group projects to finish, and a couple more papers to turn in. After that, I'll just have to study for the few exams I have."

"Then take your time and study, Ithilwen. Don't worry about anything else until your exams are finished. I have the utmost confidence that you will do just fine regardless." Legolas understood her plight completely, and he didn't want her to fret over things yet to come. In the meantime, he had already begun to make mental lists of things to have finished before her arrival. He was damned determined to make her stay at the castle special.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's more damaging than Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball? Finals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The M-rating comes into play at the end of this chapter. Just thought you should know!

In San Francisco, the mild signs of winter's approach were evident in the city's residents donning light jackets, while learning that across the country, winter storm advisories were going into effect. For students, it was crunch time. Finals were approaching, and quick; the upside being that their much-desired break would follow shortly.

Study groups were popping up all over the place around campus, and the local businesses were not exempt from finding students huddled around cups of coffee, energy drinks, and textbooks wherever a flat surface existed. And yet, not all discussions over notes and study guides were about the material. Some chose to procrastinate out of testing anxiety by talking about their plans during their break.

"Sooo?" A cheerful-looking Thia plopped down at the table with a tray of food stuffs for her friends. She pointedly ignored Wennie's look of suspicion as she passed out the items.

"Sooo...what?" Wennie knew that tone. Thia was either up to something, or she had suspected something that the elleth wasn't aware of.

Thia sighed dramatically. "What are your plans after break, duh!"

"I thought we were studying," the blond tried to change the subject. From across the table, Jack and Esther both looked confused. They had missed the conversation between Bernard, Wennie, and Thia weeks before regarding her plans.

"You can take a break, smarty pants," Bernard interjected, taking the empty seat to his cousin's left. "You might as well tell, or I will."

"What?" Esther looked between them with interest. "What's going on?"

Bernard shot a quick look at Wennie, who exhaled through her nose and glared at him. He was going to make her come out with it, dammit all! "It's nothing big you guys," she began, "I'm just going to fly out to Scotland for Christmas-"

"Oh that is such crap!" Thia was grinning widely. "So you're really going to that party? That's awesome!"

"What party?" Jack asked. "And Scotland?"

"It's the company where Melda works," Bernard said.

"Who's Melda?"

"My wife!"

"You're married?!"

Esther nearly face-palmed. "Oh for gods sake, Jack!" she groaned, "You really need to clean out your ears!"

Thia promptly ignored the couple. "You told that guy you're flying out, right? Oh, this is wonderful news! And now you can go without guilt too!" When she realized what she had implied, she immediately apologized.

Wennie shrugged it off, assuring the younger woman not to worry. "He knows," she said. "He's pretty excited about it."

Bernard stood up and gestured to Wennie. "I'm gonna go get some drinks. You want anything, Ithilwen?" He had said it without thinking of his surroundings, having been so used to using her given name back at the apartments. When he realized, he swore under his breath. This was not the day to make breaking-news headlines, apparently.

"Ith-eel-wen?" Thia sounded out. "Ithilwen? Who is that?"

Wennie, who had been glaring stunned daggers at her cousin, bit her lip and motioned to herself. "That's...me, guys. I'm...Ithilwen."

"But I thought your full name was Winifred," Esther wondered aloud. "Unless..."

"It's my given name on my birth certificate," she answered. "I hadn't told you guys this, but back at the start of the month I met my biological parents." She held up a hand to stop the barrage of questions that were about to spill as she continued. "They found me, actually. We spent the week they were here catching up, and I learned a lot about them."

"They also work at the company in Scotland," Bernard added, "So I won't be the only one over there that she'll know."

"Well this is wonderful news," Esther smiled. The topic of the elleth's family history was never one that was discussed often, and for good reason. It was only after they had known each other for a couple of months that she felt comfortable talking about the past - or lack of it. "I just have one question," she prodded.

"Yes?"

"What would you like us to call you now? Do we stick with Wennie or Ithilwen?"

"Uh...huh. I guess it's your choice," she shrugged. "Bernard calls me Ithilwen. If you want to as well, you can. Or you can stick with Wennie if you feel more comfortable with that."

Thia wasted no time in responding. "I like Ithilwen," she said honestly. "It's unique, and I think it really fits you nowadays."

* * *

Bernard was walking Ithilwen back to her apartment a few hours later that day, when the crowds at the cafe became too much of a distraction. He had apologized again and again for spilling the beans about her identity, but luckily their friends had taken to the "new" name, even with some mispronunciations. It was an honest mistake, but it was something she could overlook. However...

"How come you never said anything to me sooner?"

"What do you mean?"

"About me. My past. I mean we met our freshmen year, B. You had plenty of opportunities to tell me you were my cousin."

Bernard shrugged. "In hindsight it might have been better for everyone if I _had_ told you. At the time though, I thought it would be better for you to just...happen into your memories as they came back. You know, instead of trying to force them on you like the crazy person you would have taken me for."

"Oh, I guess I didn't think of that." Ithilwen smiled apologetically at him.

"Speaking of your past," he began as they turned up onto the next floor. "What all do you remember?"

Ithilwen laughed out loud, a wave of images rushing forth from her latest dreams, and a few she wasn't about to divulge. "It's been...interesting. A lot of them have been with Legolas - nothing graphic I assure you - it's been more how we met up again as adults. I also got a first-hand account of a battle I took part in, and learned that Thranduil once didn't want anything to do with me."

The ellon beside her laughed, commenting on how he recalled the long letters she would send to Rivendell specifically about her tumultuous courting with Legolas. From the sounds of it he was a close friend and cousin that she could depend on.

"Hey, Thranduil said something about leaving for Scotland after finals. Are you going to be ready?"

Bernard didn't answer at first, which made Ithilwen wonder if he had changed his mind. That wouldn't make sense if Melda was going to be there- "Actually, I'm going to be leaving after _my_ final exam, but I'll be going up to New York to meet with Melda and the girls first. They have some things to finish up, and then we'll fly out to Scotland then." He glanced over to see that Ithilwen had gotten a look of nervousness. "Hey," he added assuredly, "You'll have Thranduil and Galion with you. You won't be going this trip alone."

* * *

Scotland was in chaos.

Actually, it was one particular place in Scotland that had gotten a bee in its kilt over recent developments, and no one was safe from the blaze of energy that was Legolas. He was turning the castle on its head to make sure that everything was perfect for his mate's arrival, and while it was a sweet thought, all he was doing was adding more stress to an otherwise stressful time of year.

The younglings had just gotten out of school for their winter break, to which their running about had added to the movement in the castle. Miraear was tied up on her phone trying to find out where everyone else was, how long they'd be there, and when she could expect to hear that they were flying back in. To add to the kids running amok, Legolas' perfectionism, and Miraear's inability to watch any of them, Erestor was having words with Tauriel nearly every day over food preparations. She wanted to know what was for dinner that particular night for the kids, what was the current plan for the big holiday dinner, and what could be prepared in what kitchen.

There was only one sane person left in the castle, and the damage control fell to Lindir. When he wasn't diving between Tauriel and his mate in the kitchens, he was taking a more diplomatic approach to the professionals that Legolas had hired to finish much of the work he wasn't able to do without support. The prince had a vision for things to be a certain way, and with the narrow deadline set before them the hired help was having none of his sass, even with the generous amounts they were being paid. Lindir had been able to smooth down any ruffled feathers, explaining to them briefly that Legolas was simply under a lot of pressure. Finally, when he wasn't directing the fully-grown adults to play nice and get along, Lindir was the resident piggyback-ride-giver to the younglings. To his stroke of luck, they were easier to manage than their guardians.

When Lindir thought he was out of earshot of anyone else, he let out a groan of frustration. He had just set down Baineth, the latest to ride atop his shoulders, and the elleth had run off to join the others for a movie. 'I think I'm safe for a couple hours,' he thought, hearing the distinct sound of a Disney movie beginning.

Too bad he wasn't alone. "You've been running yourself ragged, Lindir."

"Lady Miraear!" he started, turning on the spot to find that she was sitting slouched down on the couch nearby. "Forgive me, I did not see you-"

"No worries," she said, waving him over to sit down. "I'm hiding out from my own children right now, and from the looks of things, you should too."

"It is no trouble for me-"

"Bah. Don't be so polite, Lindir," Miraear grinned. "I know we've been as crazy as a wet bag of cats this past week, and I really appreciate you stepping up to keep things in order. I do have some good news on my front, though I can't say for anyone else. Would you like to hear it?"

Lindir suspected that the news had to do with Ithilwen, and he told her that any news regarding her would have been more important to tell Legolas. He was patient enough to wait until the time came for him to know.

Miraear shook her head. "Nothing about Ithilwen specifically, but it does concern her family." She leaned in slightly to whisper, "Don't tell Legolas or he'll just get worse, but I found out this morning that Galadriel's group is sailing in from the Gray Havens remains."

"Truly? This will be joyous news to Morwen and Haldir!"

"Isn't it? I was told that they're going to set out by the end of next week."

"Who will be there to collect them?"

"I sent a text to Glorfindel and the twins. Since they're the next closest group, they'll go out to the coast from their place to meet them. I would go out and sit for them, but I'm not about to leave you here alone."

Lindir laughed lightly. "I am honored that you take me into consideration, my lady."

"You're just as much a part of this family as the rest of us, both you and Erestor," Miraear told him sincerely. "The both of you have been a means of support for us all through this whole thing, and no one's ever going to forget that."

Shouts came from elsewhere in the castle, and the voice were far too old to be those of the younglings. Lindir's exasperated look was nearly a carbon copy of Miraear's. There were two possibilities of where it came from, but who would they find if they went to look? Legolas headbutting one of the hired workers or Erestor dueling Tauriel with a long kitchen knife.

Sadly both were incredibly likely possibilities.

* * *

As the sun was creeping below the horizon in San Francisco, Ithilwen was near-crawling back to her apartment to get ready for bed.

The day had been packed with test after test after test, and each one was more exhausting than the last. Multiple-choice questions can only get you so far when one's mind is worn out, but Ithilwen felt that she had done alright. Four tests that each took nearly two hours were not one of her favorite ways to spend a day, no matter how "ready" she felt taking them.

Bernard had left for New York the day before. Ithilwen had seen him on campus between her own finals when he had eaten lunch with her, and then he was gone. She had seen his bags in the backseat of his car that morning, and she knew he was eager to see his wife again. That afternoon, she had been content to walk home from campus, but to her surprise she had been stopped by Galion. He had stepped up to offer her rides to school and back so that she wouldn't have to bear the brunt of any winter chills. Ithilwen had a feeling that Galion was not as familiar with the area's climate as he let on, but she accepted anyway.

Thranduil would have been in a snit if she hadn't. They both knew it.

Ithilwen had also returned to her normal weight, thanks to Galion. The richer foods he had prepared brought her back to her curvy form, and if she were honest with herself she was glad to see her broad hips again. She had just come from their apartment for dinner again when she realized that she had once again eaten more than she should have. The food was just too delicious not to!

Crossing the threshold with a small groan, Ithilwen made quick work of locking the door, and then she unbuttoned her jeans. 'Gonna have to go back to my normal pair now,' she thought with a sigh of relief. The fitted jeans she had bought when her weight plummeted were now far too snug to even stand in when she had eaten. 'It's when you have to peel them off your legs like a banana that you know they're too tight!'

A squeak came out of Ithilwen then, when her ankle had not come out of the leg hole as she thought, and she tipped over onto her living room floor. Come to it, the foot wasn't coming out of the jeans no matter how hard she tugged or bent into some bizarre yoga-esque pose. Frustrated wasn't even beginning to cover her mood in that moment.

"Fuck this shit," she mumbled as she got back to her feet and penguin-walked to the kitchen. "I am sooo over today it's not even fucking funny." Ithilwen scrambled through the drawers until she located the pair of scissors, then penguin-walked back to her couch and fell onto it. She made quick work of shredding the denim around her feet, and with a flourish threw the offending garment across the room to hit the wall. "Now no one will be subjected to your insane ideals of women's sizes!" she told the heap.

Ithilwen returned the scissors to their proper place, and pointedly ignored the destroyed jeans as she stalked back to her bedroom in her sweater, panties, and mismatched socks. 'Why do I get the feeling Legolas would have found that hilarious?' she thought, as she pulled the sweater over her head with more care than she showed the jeans. Ithilwen was slowly beginning to remember Legolas, and while in that moment she couldn't be certain, she might have wagered that he had an evil streak a mile long. 'He'd probably spend more time laughing than helping me.'

'I gotta wonder what he sees in me though.' Her mind was tired, but somehow it still wanted to make her second-guess herself and her decision to go to Scotland. The memories that had come back to her gave her an inkling of what her home had looked like, but also what the other members of her realm had as well. Tall, willowy, and gorgeous with a side of resting bitchface seemed to be the norm for the elves that she saw in Lorien. 'Everything I'm not.'

Ithilwen was tall, and according to Esther she could go from the "sweet girl next door" to "7th circle of hell bitchface" in no time at all. She was just as far from being waif-like as the other women in her family, which should have made her feel better. All it managed to do was remind her of her days in grade school, where some students took enjoyment out of singling out others because they didn't fit the norm. She had grown into her form quicker than the rest of her class, and she was picked on because she was curvy and couldn't wear the fashions that were the latest trend.

She folded up the sweater and set it on the nearby chair, turning to look at herself in the mirror. As much as Ithilwen tried not to let the insecure thoughts in, they had a habit of creeping up anyway. 'I'm in shape,' she attempted to lift her spirits, 'I can fill out a corset without having to tie it bone-crushingly tight. I...' Her brain was struggling to come up with another compliment on the spot. 'I...have boobs like a pinup model? No wait, that just sounds wrong. I...have cool ears? Okay yeah, we'll go with that one. I have cool ears.'

Ithilwen turned away from the mirror to finish changing into her pajamas, her mood slightly lifted. The ears were a feature of her new developments that she had come to get used to rather quickly. She didn't even mind that she couldn't bear to put in her earrings anymore, since she learned that her body would just close the holes up each time she took them out. There had been a couple of times she was half-tempted to try it, but that would mean having to re-pierce her lobes all over again.

Something else Thranduil would have had a snit about.

She found herself laughing at the memory of him questioning why she had chosen to put holes in her ears all the way up, back before they changed. It was one of the last splurges she had gone on, if one could call it that, before her foster mother had gotten sick. Ithilwen had gotten her ears pierced multiple times while her mother had been fitted with a lotus tattoo on her shoulder. The elleth could only imagine the shit-storm she would have endured had she gotten inked instead.

'I wonder what Legolas would have thought, if he had seen?' Ithilwen pulled back the blankets and crawled into bed, fluffing her pillows up before she laid down. 'Although I guess he did see my rounded ears a few times before they grew, but he never said anything. Come to it, he never said anything about the color streaks I had either.' She scooted further down in the blankets to get comfortable. 'I wonder why he never said anything. Was it because he was just happy to see me alive? Did the changes bother him like they did his father? No, that doesn't seem right. Thranduil didn't like me at first anyway way back when. I guess I'll have to ask him when I get to Scotland,' she yawned, already feeling drowsy. 'I'll have to ask him that after I ask about what he sees in me, cause I sure as hell don't see it.'

-0-0-0-0-0-

* * *

In her dreams, Ithilwen saw pieces of her past life in glimpses that went by too fast to really linger on. She assumed that when she regained the last of her memories that these little, fleeting moments would also be stored away with the ones she got to experience.

After the war had ended, Legolas had kept his promise of returning to Lorien to see her. It was these moments that Ithilwen enjoyed watching, even though there was nothing particularly significant about them. To her, they were everything and nothing, but it did help her see that Legolas was hard-pressed to leave her side when he would walk her back to her talan each night.

She also knew it was bound to come up eventually, but Ithilwen still felt herself get emotional as she watched Legolas get down on bended knee before her former self.

"Ithilwen," Legolas began, taking one of her hands, "You are the light that I have been missing in my life. I never could have foreseen that the letters we exchanged as younglings would lead us together. Yet that day when we arrived here in Lorien, I knew something had changed between us for the better. Leaving you behind months ago was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and it is something that I cannot do again."

In Legolas' free hand, he produced a small, elegant ring. Ithilwen stepped closer to the memory-couple to get a better look and was amazed at the intricate detail of the metal foliage that wrapped around the gemstone. With a slight shake of his hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger, and Ithilwen wondered if her former self could stop shaking enough to get the ring on at all.

"I love you, Ithilwen," Legolas continued. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to start a family with you-"

Guilt hit Ithilwen then, recalling that Legolas had told her they had been discussing having children before her death.

"-to never leave your side. Please accept this ring, and my love?"

The former Ithilwen had small tears running down her cheeks, but she was smiling so widely that the present Ithilwen thought her cheeks might split. "Oh Legolas," she whispered, "You have had my love far longer than you realize. I do wish to be your wife-!" She laughed through her tears as Legolas scooped her up in his arms and spun her around, kissing the tears on her cheeks away.

When he set her down, Legolas kissed her soundly, and the present Ithilwen once more was envious of herself. 'I'm still waffling back and forth over this when I'm awake, but somehow I'm jealous of my past life? What the hell is wrong with this?!'

Legolas pulled away, and he answered the unspoken question that lingered between them. "I will convince my adar that you are more than worthy," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "He will realize that we were meant to be bound."

"And if he does not approve of me? What will we do then?"

"We will be married regardless," Legolas said matter of factly, and from the tone in his voice it was obvious that he had every intention of following through on his word.

Ithilwen caught more glimpses of the various reactions that passed her by in the dreams. Her own parents were ecstatic, as was her grandmother and reluctant grandfather. She had learned that Legolas' naneth and sister were far more accepting of the news. Thranduil, however, had been furious. He had accused Legolas of betraying his kingdom, which did no favors with the son who proceeded to argue with him to the point of taking refuge in Lorien for an extended amount of time. From the small bit she did get to witness, she saw her former self storm into her grandfather's library in an all-fired rage, demanding that he at least attempt to get along with the Woodland's king for their benefit, because whether he liked it or not they would be married. Ithilwen wasn't very familiar with her grandfather's temper still, but that day he certainly made use of it as he went toe-to-toe with her in the argument.

'Okay so everything wasn't all sunshine and roses,' she concluded, watching as the memory faded just as her grandmother entered to send them to opposite ends of the room. 'Was it always like this? No, wait. Thranduil told me that the day they signed the agreement between the realms that his opinion had begun to change. So what, he finds out we're serious about getting married and suddenly backpedals over everything?'

As Ithilwen learned, their decision to bind themselves to the other was the _exact_ reason why Thranduil had stuck his heels in. He couldn't bear to acknowledge that the bloodlines would eventually merge, having been so set in his own adar's ways. He wanted simplicity, and felt that any connection to Galadriel and Celeborn would only entice a flair for over-dramatics on every little thing. It had taken her former self years before she could finally convince him that she was flexible in many situations and would adapt where it was required. Ithilwen had seen moments where Legolas had brought her to Greenwood to stay for periods of time, and the king had purposely set challenges before her to watch her fail. She had stumbled, but she kept going; if nothing else, it would piss him off and she found she actually got some enjoyment out of it.

Because of the issues between the families, the formal engagement wasn't made until after both sides could be in the same room without arguing, and it was a few years afterwards before the ceremony would take place. Since both realms would be ultimately joined with this marriage, it only felt right to include everyone. Unfortunately this made planning the ceremony even more difficult.

'Has anything ever been easy with Legolas and me?' Ithilwen thought sadly as she watched Haldir lead her former body down the long aisle to where Legolas stood. Though she had to admit, the gown that had been made for her was absolutely _gorgeous_. It was a silvery white, embroidered with a shimmering thread that really showed off its detail under the natural light. Her hair had been pinned back partway with an assortment of flowers that matched her bouquet. It screamed "princess" and Ithilwen found it hard to believe that at one point she had worn something so elegant and special.

Her memory was fading in and out as the traditions were recited, but she did get to hear pieces of the vows that they had bestowed the other. Ithilwen felt a tear run down her cheek as she heard Legolas swear to her that he would never leave her side, doing whatever he could to protect her. 'And I went and did something stupid,' she thought. 'How does he not resent me for leaving him behind?'

The first kiss they shared as husband and wife would not be their last, this much Ithilwen knew. Somehow, someway, she was going to make everything up to Legolas. He deserved so much better than what she had given him.

* * *

"Now what?" Ithilwen looked around at her new setting, confused as to why she was once more in a talan. "I thought the wedding was the end of the dream?"

Soft giggles erupted from elsewhere in the talan, and she grimaced. 'The last time I walked into another room in a talan I thought was empty, it didn't fly well.' Ithilwen sighed, knowing that the curiosity would get the better of her eventually. She gave herself a mental shake and braced herself before following the sounds.

'Of course. Of course it leads to a damned bedroom.'

Opening the door, it wasn't hard to tell where the giggling was coming from anymore. It was her old self, caught in the arms of Legolas, who was peppering kisses along her bared shoulder. Ithilwen turned to shut the door - out of habit more than anything - and thanked her lucky stars that they were both dressed. When she turned back around, she was ever the more thankful that no one in the dreams could hear her, because when she saw that Legolas had begun to undo former-Ithilwen's gown, she yelped.

"No! No! Come on, what's the deal?!" she shrieked, throwing her hands up to cover her eyes. "I see enough of my boobs everyday when I get in the shower! I don't want to see the old me's set and find out they're perkier!"

Whatever higher power that was picking what memories Ithilwen saw clearly didn't care for her opinion. She heard the sound of the gown slumping to the floor, but she also heard something else that made her peek through her fingers.

"You should not hide yourself, Ithilwen. You are too beautiful for that."

Ithilwen, through her fingers, could see her old self cross her arms before her chest. A blush had even started for form across her cheeks. 'So old me was self conscious too? That's surprising.'

"It is only a reflex," the older Ithilwen had said meekly, not looking at Legolas. "I still do not feel worthy of your eyes, I suppose."

"Then I will just have to show you how beautiful you are," he had replied softly, stepping closer to wrap his arms about her again. Ithilwen watched as Legolas dipped his head to kiss her former self with a passion that again, made her jealous.

'This is unbelievable. I'm jealous of _myself_! Can this _get_ any weirder?!'

It could, it would, and it did. For the modern-Ithilwen anyway. She watched from her spot at the door as Legolas proceeded to tell her old-self exactly why he found her beautiful as he left kissed along various areas of her body. His hands would lightly move across her skin, and whenever he hit a delicate spot she would gasp. Old-Ithilwen's hands had come up to his chest to begin to undo the clasps of his tunic, pushing it open and off his broad shoulders. From here, Ithilwen was getting her first look at Legolas' backside, having only seen him in the web camera window up until that point.

"Holy hell," she breathed, watching as the muscles in his shoulder blades flexed as his arms moved across her body. Ithilwen knew that he was a warrior, or had been, but good grief his back muscles alone could have been a shield! 'I won't think about cracking walnuts,' she chanted to herself as she felt her gaze move down his backside, noticing how firm the rest of him was.

Old-Ithilwen appeared to have been getting impatient, because Legolas laughed lightly, shaking Ithilwen from her thoughts. He stopped his caresses long enough for the elleth to grasp the waistband of his leggings and jerk them down to his ankles.

"Okay, it appears I've lost any self-doubt now." Ithilwen was actually embarrassed for herself, finding that her own cheeks were heating up as Legolas stepped out of his leggings casually, nudging them across the floor. Old-Ithilwen must have been taken aback by what she saw on the other side, for she was also flushing a magnificent shade of red. Unable to stop herself, Ithilwen moved from her spot to stand beside her old self to get a look at the front side. "Oh my god-!"

Legolas, for his credit, _hadn't_ been exaggerating when he had joked about certain...things during their calls. Ithilwen didn't know what she was expecting, but she hadn't expected so much truth in his words.

It wasn't until that moment that it clicked with Ithilwen why she was here. This was their wedding night. The memory where they were bound according to the customs of their people. And she was the spectator.

"No! No! No! I can't watch this!" Ithilwen had stepped back to the wall when she made the connection. "I mean yeah we're married, _but_ -! This is just...wrong on so many levels!"

"If you are nervous, melleth, we do not have to do this tonight." Legolas had stepped up to old-Ithilwen and cupped her face in his hands.

Ithilwen couldn't be sure, but somehow she had a feeling that the anticipation of this night had gotten to her at one point. 'I think the question is more about whether all the pieces will fit or not!'

Old-Ithilwen shook her head, smiling up at him. "I have waited too long to let any fears keep me from being with you, Legolas. I trust that you will not hurt me."

'You're a braver soul than I am,' she thought to her old self, forgetting the vow she had made to herself earlier in the dream.

Legolas had murmured something Ithilwen couldn't quite hear into the older elleth's ear before scooping her up under her knees and carrying her to the large bed in the room. He handled her with such care that Ithilwen was amazed. As the elleth made herself comfortable on the bed, Legolas climbed onto the mattress beside her, pulling her to him for another kiss. That kiss led to more kisses, caresses, and many sighs from her.

Ithilwen still stood against the wall while this was happening. 'So what am I supposed to do?' she thought, looking around. 'I can't get out of the dream apparently. I guess I just have to wait it out?' Spotting a chair nearby, she moved to sit down in it. It gave her a front-seat view to the show taking place on the bed, she discovered too late, but she didn't know if she could move objects in the memory.

Not that it mattered, because she was taken aback as Legolas began his descent down the elleth's body, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. She squirmed beneath his touch, and Ithilwen was further surprised to learn that she had no issues with telling him that she liked something. Perhaps though, the biggest surprise came as Legolas' lips passed her navel and continued south.

'Surely he's not-' A loud gasp came from the elleth on the bed, along with a full-body jerk of surprise as Legola's face was hidden by the now-bent legs. '-Okay. So he his.' Ithilwen thought her own mind had gone blank then. 'Why am I even bothered being surprised anymore?!'

Legolas' teasing of the elleth's hidden pleasure only made the elleth herself moan more. Ithilwen watched as her old self begin to mewl as he continued, and she wasn't sure what emotion she was supposed to be experiencing any longer. And she thought that the wandering hands moment between them had been intrusive!

The mewls turned to gasps of surprise as Legolas stopped his ministrations and moved back to hover over the elleth. "Why did you stop?" she had asked breathlessly.

"Because I want to be with you when I send you over the edge," he said huskily into her hear, and from her spot in the chair Ithilwen felt the shiver of delight in his words.

'Down girl!'

A few more kisses were shared as Legolas held himself above the elleth as they both tried to regain some control. It seemed that things were moving far faster than either had wanted that night, and given how abruptly Legolas had stopped teasing her, he wanted to make the moment last as long as possible. Ithilwen watched as he asked her old self once more if she was certain that this was what she wanted, forgetting briefly that she was supposed to be appalled at what she was looking at.

'Don't you dare punk out now, old-me!'

She saw the other elleth raise her right leg up to wrap around his hip, helping to line him up with her entrance. Legolas had taken that as his answer, and with excruciating slowness he entered her. Old-Ithilwen gasped in surprise at the new sensations, the most obvious being the intrusion and adjusting. He had stopped his movements when she had closed her eyes, and in the softest of whispers he had asked her if she was okay. She didn't answer at first, but when she did she gave Legolas her assurances that he could keep going.

As Legolas reached the point where he could go no further, Ithilwen felt herself go slack-jawed. 'Old-me must have been as tough as nails, cause I swear I thought that wouldn't have worked.' She looked down at herself and then back up at her old self. 'I look like I did,' she mused. 'My hair's a little shorter right now, but what about everything else? Are we still going to work, or is it going to be like that semi-truck getting stuck in the overpass I heard on the news?!'

Ithilwen wasn't sure when Legolas had begun to move above her old self, having been so caught up in her thoughts, but it appeared that they had worked out a rhythm that left both of them very pleased. Oddly, watching the act was somehow hypnotizing for Ithilwen, who had forgotten by this point to be embarrassed. She could see for certain just how much Legolas had loved her old self. Each touch and kiss was delicately planned with the intention to bring out as much pleasure for her as it was for him.

'Is this why I'm here?' Ithilwen thought as the sounds of their lovemaking had begun to echo in the room. 'To see firsthand that Legolas truly loves me? That wasn't made clear by the vows I heard?'

The cries of ecstasy from both elves in the bed was the cue for Ithilwen that the act was drawing to a close. She stood from the chair, walking past the foot of the bed to see the couple better. Legolas had moved to lay on his back, pulling the elleth into his chest, her head tucked under his chin. Ithilwen couldn't hear the words they said to each other, for they were far too soft to pick up.

"Oddly enough I still wish I was in your place," she mumbled to the spent elleth in the arms of her mate.

* * *

There was no gradual awakening that morning for Ithilwen. No slow process of becoming aware of her surroundings, looking at the time on the clock, and pulling the blankets overhead. No, nothing of the sort was there to trick her into believing that her night's dreams had been a figment of her imagination.

Instead, she was woken by the sounds of her upstairs neighbors banging around in their apartment. They were late for work from the sounds of the muffled curses.

Ithilwen sat up and groaned as the rush of memories came back full force, along with the protests of her lady bits and a splitting headache. She had seen many things that night. Many, many things. _All_ the things.

"This has to be some kind of cruel joke," she grumbled, walking on shaky legs to her bathroom for a much-needed cold shower.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good things come to those who wait, however hitting CTRL-F5 won't speed the wait time up, no matter how many times one tries.

Legolas had been having a wonderful dream that night. Actually, it was a memory, one that stuck out to him in his loneliest nights before he had begun to talk to Ithilwen. It contained everything he wanted and nothing to complain about. So when his cell phone ran on the night stand beside his bed, the prince had been ready to chuck it into the wall until he realized that the caller's ID was Ithilwen.

"Hello?" He answered, trying to fight down the irritation he felt. This was his mate after all. There was no way she could have known that he was having a very satisfying dream.

"You." The voice on the other end sounded almost rattled, "You pervert!"

"What did I do?" Legolas asked incredulously. He wasn't even allowed to fly out there to see her in person! How the hell did he manage to pull of something perverted?

"I. SAW. EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING, LEGOLAS. EVERYTHING!"

He rubbed his face with his free hand, scooting into a sitting position on the bed. "You're gonna have to be more specific, love."

There was the sound of stuttered words on the other end, and Legolas was almost convinced that they had a bad signal, until she said, "I saw you naked."

"Really now?"

"Yes, really!" Even without seeing her Legolas could tell she was blushing. "I saw the entire wedding night!"

Oh. _OH_. 'Now it makes sense...' He wanted to laugh so badly, but he knew it would only make things worse. "So..what did you think?"

"What do you mean, 'what did I think'?!"

"I mean exactly what I said!"

Ithilwen had gone silent again. "I was definitely surprised," came her answer. Legolas couldn't help laughing then, mostly because of the tone in her voice. "It's not funny, Legolas!"

"Yes it is, actually."

"And why is that?"

"Because," he said, trying to control himself, "I dreamt of the same thing this night."

More silence. "You did what?"

"I dreamt of our wedding night as well. This is a peculiar thing for you, however, unless this means that your fëa is returning you to your proper form faster than we expected."

"You mean the whole elf thing right? I'm not going to turn into some kind of caterpillar or something? Anyway, it wasn't the only thing I saw. I did see some of the wedding, and of the moment that you proposed to me. There was also some stuff with your father not liking me too."

"Ah yes, that. Has he spoken to you about that yet?" He had been excited to hear that she had revisited some of their better memories at last, but those early years playing middle-man to her and his adar had been unpleasant. When Thranduil had finally conceded in his preconceived notions of his mate, Legolas had been more relieved than triumphant.

"He explained his reasons for not liking me, and that it's not the case anymore. I still feel bad you had to deal with that mess in the first place, now that I've seen it first hand."

"It was no fault of yours, Ithilwen. Adar is stubborn in his beliefs, and the fact that you were able to wheedle him down to change his opinion of you was something miraculous."

"If we're being honest Legolas, Thranduil was an extreme grump in the beginning."

Legolas laughed again. "I believe you said something similar to me after one of your first meetings with him," he said. "It wasn't one of the nicest sentences to ever describe him, and it certainly wasn't 'grump'."

"Well no wonder he didn't like me!"

"On the contrary he found it amusing. The rest of the family found it downright hilarious that so many negative descriptions could be strung together into on sentence." The closest that Legolas had seen to that display of pissed had been in the National Lampoon movie the twins had convinced him to watch years ago. Come to it, that entire family had been a frighteningly good depiction of their extended one. But back to the matter at hand, Legolas had to know. "If you dreamt the same memories as I this night, why have you called me so mad, melleth?"

"I'm not mad, Legolas. I'm just saying you're a pervert."

"And what did I do to make you call me such?" He knew of course. He just wanted to hear her say it. The devious grin made its way across his lips as she began to stutter again.

"Y-You...you went..." Ithilwen sighed over the phone and tried again. "You went...there."

It was becoming very difficult not to keep laughing. "Where?" he asked innocently.

"There, Legolas! You went...there!"

"You're on the phone, love. I can't see where you're pointing to." Legolas' free hand went to cover his mouth at the strangled noise of frustration she made. He had nearly lost it there.

"You- what was it you said? Right - you 'spoke elvish between my thighs'!" Ithilwen blurted out quickly.

Legolas did laugh then, as much as he tried not to. "I'm not laughing at you, Ithilwen, I swear. I'm just imagining you all flustered over there, that's all."

"Yeah, well you're not far from the truth."

He sat up a little straighter and frowned. "Did the dream make you uncomfortable at all? Melleth, there is no reason you should feel shame in what you saw," he told her gently. "There is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do to make you comfortable around me."

"I...I know that," she said. "It's just...weird, you know? Seeing me - or old me I guess - and you...going at it. I guess it's one thing to talk about it, but seeing it before you is a whole other experience. I mean now it's even more cemented in my mind that you're my husband, and that we did things together." Ithilwen's words were coming out in a rush, and Legolas assumed that she had been holding this in for a little while. "It's a little scary to think that I'm already married when I've never met you in person in this lifetime. But then I'm an elf so this 'lifetime' is practically infinite."

"Ithilwen, what are you trying to say?" Legolas asked her. She was hinting at something, and he really hoped she hadn't changed her mind about coming to Scotland. Nothing would stop him from coming to spend Christmas with her in San Francisco if she did.

"I'm scared I'm behind the times with you, Legolas. I'm scared that I won't match up to all of the things that I used to be or to you. I'm scared my family is going to reject the new me. I'm scared that you'll reject me. I'm scared that I'm going to disappoint you, Legolas. You've waited too long for me to remember, and I don't want to let you down."

"Sweet Eru, Ithilwen," Legolas breathed. "There is nothing you could do to disappoint me. I thought we had already covered that, but I'll say it again, and however many times I need to. You are you. Everything about you now is the former you, and I am always going to love you regardless. What happened in the past was a setback, that's all; it never changed anything about you to me. No one in this family will turn you away either. Hell, you've already met half of them!" he teased, adding, "Everyone just wants you to be happy and feel welcome again. If you feel overwhelmed, just say so. We'll give you the space you require to get your bearings."

When Ithilwen spoke again, her voice sounded much calmer and happier. "Thank you, Legolas. Somehow, I don't see you giving me space," she teased back.

"Oh, I'll never be far from you. If I wasn't being monitored by the rest of the family I would have done come to see you."

"You're being monitored?" she asked incredulously.

"Only out of love," Legolas assured her. "The intent was not to startle you, though I believe that intent has failed with flying colors."

"I'm not startled," Ithilwen said stubbornly. "I'm just...surprised by some of the things that I've heard or seen."

"Like what?"

"Well, you going down on me was a surprise!" came the quick response, followed by a gasp that made him let out a bark of laughter. "I can't believe I just said that!"

"You never had a problem telling me what you did and didn't like in the bedroom."

"Oh my god."

"You also said something similar quite often," he snickered. "Shall I demonstrate?"

"That's okay," she said quickly. "I've heard you moan enough for one night!"

"You might want to get used to that, love." Legolas was back to grinning widely. "Can I ask you something about your dreams? An honest question, I promise."

"Yeah?"

"What did you think? About everything you saw, I mean." Legolas winced as he rethought his words. It still sounded as if he were just trying to goad Ithilwen into embarrassment, and that wasn't his goal at all.

Either it was very early in California, or Ithilwen caught onto the unintended innuendo and glossed over it. "I was very moved," she answered. "Even the unpleasant parts with Thranduil's sour mood towards me. It really set things in perspective for me, with everything I've been told up to this point."

"Are you still worried about meeting me?" he asked.

"Only that I might trip or make a fool of myself," Ithilwen laughed. "And since this is the honesty hour, I'm a little nervous about when we do get to _that point_ and whether things are going to fit where they're supposed to." She wasn't about to tell him that she had tried to gauge whether she was the same size everywhere when she had been in the shower earlier.

"You're worried about- what?"

"Will Tab A fit into Slot B, Legolas," she ground out. "I can't make it any simpler than that."

Legolas slapped his forehead and sighed. He had just told Ithilwen once again that she was the same as she used to be; that should have implied everything being the same. Now she was afraid that when they did get into bed together he'd get stuck? Wouldn't fit? His head was beginning to hurt, the more he thought about it. "I don't know if this will offer you any reassurance," he said finally, "but I was informed that when you were reborn, your fëa would be placed within a _suitable_ vessel that would transition into an elleth's form. Basically you would be a respawned version of yourself from Valinor, if you want to think of it in video game terms."

"So no problems?"

"No problems." Legolas smiled slightly, hearing her sigh of relief over the phone. "Aside from that, you enjoyed the dreams then?"

Ithilwen laughed. "So much so that I'm glad I dreamt of this after I took my hardest exam, or I would have surely failed!"

"You're joking, because I know you're smarter than that."

"You're sweet, but I'm not kidding about the distracting part of it. The cold shower I just took did nothing, absolutely nothing!"

"Are you implying that you had to take matters into your own hands?" Legolas asked cheekily. "Because I can get behind that. After all, I'm-"

"You're a pervert, Legolas." Ithilwen said lightly. "I do have one more exam later this morning that I need to be prepared for, and if I'm thinking about you diddling yourself I'm not going to be able to concentrate."

"I never said I was doing that!" he retorted. "All I was about to say was that I'm armed for battle, not that I was going into war. Now who's the pervert?" It was teasing, and they both knew it. "The younglings are out of school on break, and I've been chosen as the day's honorary sacrifice, so I must be prepared as well."

"I doubt they're that bad."

"Just you wait, love. When you get here they'll want your attention all the more because you're fresh meat." Legolas chuckled. "Really though, good luck on your last test, even if you don't need it. I'll be thinking of you, melamin."

"I'll be thinking of you too, Legolas."

"Only when you aren't testing," he said firmly. "Don't let me or my...nonexistent diddling...distract you."

"Oh like you weren't going to anyway! You had the same dream, you saw!"

His chuckles turned to laughs. "I never said I wasn't going to, just that I wasn't right now."

* * *

Across town in one of apartment buildings close to the school, two figures lay in bed asleep. Rather, one was asleep, the other was running their fingers through their bedmate's hair. The ministrations did nothing to keep the person asleep, and as they squinted through half-awake eyes up at the other person, they asked, "What are you doing, Jack?"

"I thought that was obvious."

Esther exhaled through her nose and turned her head to look at the clock. "Bleeding hell," she mumbled into the pillow. "You couldn't have let me sleep for another half hour? My test isn't until 11:30!"

Jack didn't seem perturbed by her ill-mood; Esther never was a morning person anyway. "You do need to eat breakfast," he said, as he continued to finger-comb the night's sleep out of her hair. "What do you think about going to IHOP?"

"That...sounds pretty good."

"Good. Then wakey wakey, baby! Time to get some eggs and bac-cy!" He grinned as he nudged her shoulder, knowing the gesture would be met with a swat from her hand. She didn't fail to deliver, though her efforts were lax.

Esther half-glared at Jack as she sat up in the bed and rubbed her face. "Why do you want to wake me up so damn early?"

"Because of our agreement, remember?"

"Oh, right. That's come round again."

When they had become officially engaged, they had made an agreement to spend a few days in the week apart from the other every two to three weeks. It would give them the opportunity to spend time with other friends their lover was not overly fond of or familiar with, and it allowed them the space they needed so that they wouldn't get sick of each other before they were married. Both had seen couples fall in flames from spending every waking hour with the other, and in the end not only did it destroy their relationship, but it also distanced their groups of friends. Since they had rented an apartment together when they began college, Esther would spend her "Jack free" days camping out on Thia's couch.

"How are you for lunch these next couple of days, Jack?" Esther had gotten up and moved to the bathroom to begin her day's routine.

Jack remained reclining against the headboard. "I'll be okay. There's still some leftovers from the other night in the fridge."

When Esther appeared in the doorway, she was frowning. "You need dinner too, and if you're referring to the old Chinese leftovers I threw those out last night."

"Why?" he looked appalled.

"They were turning green and moving!" Esther mocked his look of horror. "I was afraid I'd open the door this morning and they'd say 'How you doin'?'"

"That was a gamble I'd be willing to take."

"Jack, I'll cook tonight." Esther had already decided in the short amount of time that she had been awake. There was no way her fiance would eat spoiled food when she could cook a larger dinner for the leftovers. "How does spaghetti sound?"

"Spicy sauce?"

"Of course."

Jack had jumped up from the bed and moved to kiss her. "You're amazing, you know that right?"

"And you're a suck up, Jack." she grinned, watching as he went to their closet. "Have you talked to Thia any since our last regular class meeting? She told me that she's planning on bringing someone up to the cabin, so there'll be four of us instead of three."

"No, I didn't know that. Thia's got a boyfriend she didn't tell us about?" Jack shook his head. "It seems to be an epidemic lately."

"Are you talking about Wen- Ithilwen?"

"Yup. What? You can't tell me that you don't think there's something going on there!"

Esther had begun to dress for the day, choosing a warm and comfortable outfit of layers she could shed in the classroom if the heater was up too high. "She says there isn't, but I don't know..."

"She's going to Scotland to meet a guy she's been talking to online for months, Es. That just screams of those novels you read."

"Yes, and you expect her to jump into bed with someone she barely knows? Honestly Jack, she's not like that. Now either nothing will happen, or she's been talking to this guy far longer than we know. Either way, it's not of our business, and Bernard's going to be there too. He even said this castle that they're staying in is the household for most of the company's family."

"Speaking of-"

"Jack, don't start this today," Esther pleaded. "I have a Chem test I have to focus on later. I really don't want to get into it about my family."

Jack had finished dressing before her, and walked over to embrace Esther from behind. "I know," he murmured, kissing her on the temple. "But all I wanted to say was that we should send them something for Christmas, since we won't be flying back there this year. At the very least let them know that you're doing okay and that you're thinking of them."

"Alright," she said at last. "We'll figure something out later today and send it out tomorrow. It's early enough that it the post should still get it to them before Christmas."

"Good. Thank you. I know they aren't crazy about me, but I don't want them to hate you because of me."

Esther turned in Jacks' arms to wrap hers around his shoulders, bringing his forehead to hers. "You know that's not the case. They just want things I don't, and they're having a hissy fit about it. Believe me, this will work out when they see how well things are going for us." She gave him a light peck on the lips. "Now what were you saying about IHOP? You woke me up, and now I want to eat!"

* * *

"I have news, melleth."

"As do I," Thranduil said into his cell phone. "You first."

"Alright," he heard her sigh lightly. "Galadriel and Celeborn are sailing in from the Gray Havens for the holidays."

"You're certain?"

"I talked to her and Celebrian yesterday morning. The whole lot of them are to arrive by next week. I've told Glorfindel and the twins to go out there to collect them before coming in. Legolas doesn't know yet."

"How bad has it been?" Thranduil didn't bother to ask if Legolas was doing well; he knew that as soon as his son found out his mate would be coming to the castle he would be on cloud nine.

Miraear laughed. "Which child are you referring to?" she asked, "Legolas has been a whirlwind of nerves ever since he found out Ithilwen said yes, and he's been hellbent on making everything perfect. Your daughter, on the other hand, has been driving Erestor up the walls. She wants to help cook the daily meals, he's planning the big meals, and somehow they have to learn to share."

"There's two kitchens!"

"And they both want to play in the bigger one most of the time. I swear it's like the younglings are the mature ones right now!"

"How are they?"

"Oh they're being corralled by Legolas. They just finished the school year and are on break, and I think the workers Legolas has hired are silently praising them since they're keeping your son occupied."

"Why do you keep referring to them as only 'my children'?" he asked in a hurt tone. "You were the one to give birth to them!"

"Yes but they get their temperament from you, sweetheart," Miraear said cheerfully. "I gave birth to two sweet angels; I don't know where they went or where these two came from-"

Thranduil had made a bizarre noise at her answer. "You are just as fiery as I am when you are mad, woman! You can't place all the blame on me!"

"Oh? I thought they just got my good looks-"

"Sometimes I wonder why I love you so much, Miraear."

"Oh you know why," she laughed, making him smile. "And I love you as well. Now what is your news you wanted to tell me?"

He had been so distracted by her mocking that he had nearly forgotten. "Bernard has finished his exams and has flown off to New York to join the ellith," he recounted, "He'll be flying in with them. Ithilwen has one more exam today, which she is currently off taking. Galion and I are going to leave shortly yo collect her after the class concludes."

Miraear hummed lightly. "And she's coming with you both?"

"Of course. Should I prepare her for the news of the newest family she will meet?"

"If you want to tell her, you can, but for gods sake don't tell Legolas. He's in enough of a tizzy as it is, and Lindir and I can only contain the chaos so much before it bubbles over."

"Have you considered slipping him a nerve pill?"

"You know those won't do jack shit to an elf."

Thranduil shrugged, even though his mate couldn't see it. "It never hurts to try," was the response that made her snort. "I love you, Mira. Coming back to Scotland is going to be a welcome I'm very much looking forward to."

"As do I," she said softly. "It will be nice to have you warm the bedsheets with me at night again. I love you too, Thranduil. Now go to school to get your other daughter so you can get over here and I can give you the welcome a former king deserves."

He chuckled. "Yes my lady." With the farewells said, he joined Galion at the door of their apartment. Thranduil tucked the phone into his pocket as they descended the steps, not having the heart to have told his mate that they would need to wait for Ithilwen's test scores to come in before they could leave. He was confident that she would do well, but she had been stressing for weeks, and he couldn't bear to push her to hurry along with packing until she saw for herself. Legolas would be fine for a little while longer. The wait would be worth it.

* * *

Bernard had arrived in New York City late into the evening a few days before, and luckily for him his mate was still awake and waiting for him at the airport. He hadn't left Melda's side since, telling her about everything that had happened since they left San Francisco.

Melda had been disappointed to learn that Ithilwen was now unemployed, but like Bernard, she felt that it was a prime opportunity for her to just move to Scotland. It was welcome news to hear that her memories were coming back quicker, even if there were a number of unpleasant ones she had to get through first. In turn she told Bernard about the various functions the other ellith and herself were guests at. If it weren't for his phonecall the week before, they would have already set out for Scotland, but she insisted that they wait for him.

Silima and Fiona wasted no time in taking digs at the pair as soon as Bernard stepped foot in the suite they had. It was all in good fun, and they had sworn to give Ithilwen hell when the proper time called for it as well. "She's got an excuse, B," Fiona told him. "She can't remember everything right now, and once she does, then she'll get the same treatment."

"I imagine she'd rather forget that ever happened," he had replied dryly.

This kind of banter kept on for the past couple of days, and it only got worse as the married couple chose to spend more time in their bedroom than going out at night.

"Are you guys coming or not?" Fiona shouted from the commons area of the suite.

Silima quickly waved her hands at the other elleth. "They're both in the shower, Fi. You might want to rethink what you just said."

"What? What did I- oh my god," she groaned. "I didn't want that image in my head!"

"And you think I did?!"

Movement from further back in the suite kept the ellith from arguing further. They both turned to see Bernard and Melda walk into the commons area, fully dressed for a night out on the town. "We'll have you know that we're not animals," he said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, we tried shower sex and it didn't end well for either of us." Melda didn't seem to have a problem picking at their love life. "No happy ending that day, but a couple of bruised asses instead."

Silima laughed at her friend's statement, but Bernard could only look at his mate in shock.

"You really had to tell them that?"

"What?" she shrugged. "We've had to listen to them going at it for years! What's wrong with sharing a funny story?"

Fiona rubbed her face and sighed. "It's official. This is the family that shares far too much about each other's private lives." She gestured to the door, adding, "Can we go out to dinner already? It's going on seven-thirty and our reservation is for eight. I mean I know it's not Erestor's cooking, but I'd really like something halfway decent to eat before we fly back home."

"Come to it," Bernard began as they exited the suite and proceeded down to the ground floor. "Why did you guys fly commercial again? I thought you were taking the private jet?"

"Thranduil's claimed it," Silima said after they entered the elevator doors, already feeling her stomach drop before the elevator moved. "He said he wanted to bring Ithilwen in on it so that he could prepare her for what's to come."

"And we can't argue with Thranduil," Fiona stated matter-of-factly. "He's got a point on this though. I mean she's walking into the lion's den with meat strapped to her, basically. She barely knows us, and I've heard that since we hung out that Aunt Morwen and Uncle Haldir had been to see her. The only ones she may be really comfortable around at first could be you, Thranduil, and Galion."

"That won't sit well with Legolas," he said.

"Can't say I'd blame him, since she is his wife after all," Melda pointed out. "Legolas knows that he needs to be on his best behavior around her until she comes around. If he goes and startles her he's only going to set himself back."

* * *

"Uncle Legolas," a small voice asked, "when will Aunt Ithilwen be coming home?"

"Very soon," he told Baineth. "She has tests at school she needs to finish first."

"That's boring," Ernil stated from his spot on the couch. "Why can't she just write a note to get out of it."

"Because she has chosen to continue her education," Legolas chuckled. "You will understand when you are older."

"Nuh uh," was the stubborn reply.

Since the prince had been delegated the day's babysitter for the younglings, they had kept Legolas occupied with a rotation of each child's interests. One would pick an activity that all of them could do, and they would spend some time on it before moving on to the next activity. This had started right after breakfast and kept going until long after dinner. It had been a blessing for the workers, Miraear, and Lindir, who were able to focus on other things, whether it was finishing a job or keeping Erestor from stringing Tauriel up by her hair in the kitchen. Legolas hadn't realized it, but being around the younglings for the day had been a vast improvement in his mood. He had spent so much time worrying about having everything ready to please Ithilwen when she arrived that by not focusing on his stress, he was much more relaxed.

The younglings were most definitely a blessing. Melui had wanted to hold a tea party with actual guests instead of stuffed animals, and the little ellyn had protested until she told them that they didn't have to wear pearls or floppy hats. She had served them the cookies and apple juice that Legolas had snuck out of the pantry when Tauriel and Erestor had been arguing about how often to bast some poultry. Burping apple juice and vanilla wafers after a rich breakfast of eggs and sausage wasn't the best flavor in Legolas' opinion, but she had been so happy that they sat for her tea party he couldn't refuse her multiple offerings.

Gwend had wanted to reenact one of her favorite books, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs", but the lack of any food-related props had proven a challenge until it was suggested by Ernil to just use the decorative pillows around the house. With an empty laundry basket in hand, Legolas had followed them through the castle, nicking all of the small pillows that weren't located in a bedroom. It was by no means accurate to the story, but it did give the younglings an excuse to toss pillows up in the air and at each other.

Ernil and Innion had both chosen to play video games. The game Ernil wanted to play was New Super Mario Bros. U. Since Baineth was the youngest, she got to pick the control she wanted to use, and went with the Wii U game pad. Her hands were still too small to coordinate her character's moves onscreen, and she spent much of the time playing by using her finger as a stylus on the screen. Innion had picked one of the latest Just Dance games, and by this point, Legolas was thanking the Valar that those cookies Melui had pushed on him had settled. Each of them took turns sharing the MC duties, and it quickly became a game of who could make each round more difficult for the rest.

When asked what she would like to do for the day, Baineth had chosen the large stack of coloring books in her room. This was something Legolas could get behind, having feared he would toss his cookies - literally - if the twins had kept picking the fastest songs in the game. He had helped her carry the stack of books and basket of crayons back to the room where they had been for much of the day, spreading them out across the floor. Everyone had settled in to color up until they had been called down for dinner. It had been a comfortable switch from the erratic rhythm game before, and the only arguments that had arisen had been on what color to make the elephant in one book. Thankfully the younglings missed the joke when Melui had suggested to color it pink, but Legolas had to bury his head in his arm to hide his laughter.

After dinner, they had retired back to their activity room, where Legolas put in one of the newer Disney movies they had bought but not watched. That was where Miraear had found the group when she came upstairs to check in. Legolas was watching the credits to the movie roll, and around him each of the younglings had fallen asleep on the couch.

"You've done very well today," she said quietly, coming into the room. "You wore them out."

"I think they returned the favor," he replied in the same tone. "I hadn't realized how tired I was until I got still."

Miraear had managed to catch the other adults in the castle as they came upstairs to prepare for bed and motioned for them to help her and Legolas. Erestor, Tauriel, and Lindir each took a small elfling and carried them to their respective rooms, while Legolas and Miraear took the remaining pair at a much slower pace. Miraear led her son into the twin's bedroom, where Ernil and Innion were placed and tucked in. "This is what you will have to look forward to," she told him softly, walking over to stand beside him.

"I'm not sure if that will be anytime soon," he whispered back. "I spoke to Ithilwen this morning. She appeared startled by some memories she experienced. I fear it may take more time than we expected for her to become used to the idea of being my wife again."

Once they had exited the bedroom and shut the door, Miraear turned back to Legolas. "Give it a chance," she said, "You never know. Ithilwen may come around sooner than you think. You can't blame her for being surprised at first, can you?"

"Of course not, Naneth."

"Then do not worry about it. All you need to concern yourself with is making her comfortable, so no talking of bedding her as soon as she steps in the door, alright?" At his look of utter horror, she laughed. "Don't act so surprised! I am your naneth, after all! It's easy to see that you miss your mate, and if you scare her with such talk, it will surely set things back for you both. Just remember, it took time for you both to even begin to court. Consider this a repeat." She kissed him on the brow, bid him pleasant dreams, and retired to her rooms.

Legolas stood there, mulling over what she said, before turning towards his own rooms. 'The difference between now and then was that then there was a war,' he thought sourly.

* * *

Grade stalking was a pain in the ass.

Ithilwen's instructors had told their students that they would have the final grades for each student posted to their online classroom gradebooks that evening. So she had been hitting the refresh key on her browser since she got the email, even after Galion and Thranduil had come over for dinner. Once again Galion had taken control of her kitchen, while Thranduil sat across from her at the kitchen table, watching her click on her laptop every two minutes and sigh.

"Perhaps you should wait a little longer, Ithilwen."

"Can't." she sighed again. "I just _have_ to know what I got for my final grade! How am I supposed to go off for my break without knowing?" Ithilwen clicked the button again, and from the growl Thranduil heard, it wasn't good news.

"You could just check it in Scotland. We do have internet access."

"You really think your son would let me?" Ithilwen looked at him skeptically.

"I imagine if you asked nicely," was Galion's reply from the oven. "You wouldn't have an issue with him being glued to your hip, would you?"

It was a joke, but Ithilwen still told the older ellon that she wouldn't, which came as a surprise to her. She had been taken aback by some memories, but she couldn't deny that she was excited to meet Legolas in person, even if the excitement was filled with nervous energy. Now if only the instructors would get on the ball with the posting of grades, and she could move on to other important things. Such as packing.

"So when I get my grades," she began, looking up at Thranduil. "what then? I mean what happens next?"

A plate of food appeared before her and the former king, containing a mish mash of various items. It seemed that Galion had taken the liberty of going through her kitchen and fixing anything that would have spoiled before her return for the next semester. Her kitchen hadn't been restocked mainly because she was going out of the country, so there wasn't much overall, but he had somehow worked it into a decent-looking meal. "First, you eat, penneth," came the gentle order from Galion. "Then when you have seen your grades, you can concern yourself with packing for the trip."

"I'm guessing you guys already are?" she asked, after thanking him.

"Not yet," Thranduil said. "We didn't want you to think that we would leave without you if you had seen the bags ready. Not that Legolas would have stood for us leaving you behind as it is, of course."

Galion chuckled. "The prince is so excited to see you again that he could probably run across the ocean to reach the country to collect you."

Ithilwen knew it wasn't possible, but she wouldn't have put it past Legolas to try. Still, the image made her laugh.

"Do you have any suitable clothing to wear for a Scotland winter?" Thranduil had asked. "Your changes into elven-kind are becoming more noticeable to us, so your body temperature should have begun to adjust to the cooling temperatures here. In any case, I would feel better knowing that you had warm layers in the off chance that you have not yet fully transitioned."

She thought about it as she ate. "I have some sweaters," she mused, "they're not very thick though. And a couple sweatshirts...and...pretty much any long-sleeved shirts, pants, or socks I wore during work." Ithilwen shrugged apologetically. "It's California, what do you expect?"

"The we will have to do something about that," Thranduil whispered to Galion in Sindarin.

For all that the elleth across from them was paying attention, he could have said it in plain English. Ithilwen had been checking her laptop screen in between bites of dinner and sentences, still hoping to receive some news. They both turned their attention to her when she made a muffled noise, seeing that she was waving her hands about with a mouthful of food she had been trying to swallow. It was a bit alarming until she had managed to get her food down, saying, "I passed my classes! I even made the Dean's List this semester!"

Thranduil couldn't help but smile at her excitement. "You sound surprised, Ithilwen. We have been telling you that you would do very well on your tests."

"We are proud to hear that you've done so well," Galion added.

Ithilwen laughed as she rubbed her cheeks with the palms of her hands. "I'm just relieved, cause I could have sworn my second-to-last exam would have gotten me! It feels good to not have to worry about that anymore!"

This had been a good day. She finished her classes, she had passed her classes, and even found out her GPA had increased for the term with the successes. With thanks to Galion's creative cooking, she didn't have to worry about coming back to expired food in her kitchen. Now all she had to do was try and fall asleep, then get up in the morning and begin packing for Scotland. That sounded easy enough.

* * *

The lights on her digital clock read 4:37 a.m. when Ithilwen sat up in the bed, breathing heavily and wiping at the tears that poured down her face. Wasn't sleep supposed to be easy compared to her recent coursework?

Ithilwen had once more been witness to her former self in the memories, and this time none of them were pleasant. The only nice thing she could say was that the home she had been living in with Legolas had been beautiful; it was what she considered a very upscale tree house with a long, winding staircase that reached the forest floor. Ithilien, she believed it was called. Legolas had been the leader of the colony of elves that restored the forests to what they once were apparently, and she had followed him. Given some of the glimpses of their...interactions...in their home, this was long after they had married, but that's where the pleasantness of the memory ended.

The elves in Ithilien were leaving to sail west to Valinor, the last home of her former self before the accident, if she recalled right. She had yet to see anything of Valinor itself in her memories, but from the talks and farewells that she had witnessed, it was a paradise that all elves were yearning to reach. All but two; Legolas and herself. Ithilwen had been confused about why they continued to stay in Ithilien even as the population of the colony dwindled to nothing, until one instance where they had had an argument over her sailing with the rest. Legolas had made a promise to King Elessar that he would remain until the king's passing as an aide and friend to Gondor. He had wanted Ithilwen to sail to be with her family, but she had protested, reminding him that when she had married him, she was with him for the entire journey and wasn't about to leave him by himself.

The modern Ithilwen was glad that her former self had elected to stay, for the things that she saw were heartbreaking. The years would pass, and with each one came another letter of a companion's passing into the otherworld. Many of them were the companions that Legolas had befriended during the War, from the small hobbits to the mortal lords and ladies from Minas Tirith and Edoras. Ithilwen had watched herself shed tears in the dreams, but nothing had prepared her for the death of the King of Gondor. Legolas had been a wreck just watching the king slowly slip away, and then she had to watch the Evenstar of her people ride away into the night alone, hellbent on being alone as she faded into nothing in her heartbreak. It wasn't hard to understand that the next day, they had began the preparations for sailing to the Undying Lands. They didn't go alone, to her relief. It seemed that Gimli would be coming with them, one of the last surviving members of the Fellowship that side of Valinor.

Ithilwen continued to scrub at her face, wishing she could stop crying. In a way she had expected for any mortal friends she had made in the past to have moved on to the afterlife. It was part of nature's process, after all. Still, it hurt. It hurt a lot. And knowing that one day, the mortal friends she had made in this time would also pass on only made the ache in her chest worse. This must have been what Manwë had warned her of. Too bad she had been too blind to really consider this implication of his words.

Reaching over to her nightstand, she was careful not to bump the frame with Legolas' picture in it as she picked up her cell phone. Surely it was morning in Scotland, right? Would he mind? Taking a shot, Ithilwen sent a brief text to Legolas, not expecting a response. She had been prepared to get up and take a shower to clear her head, when her phone beeped.

"What's wrong, melamin?"

"Bad dream," she texted back. "I saw...I saw our friends pass on. Woke up upset."

"Do you want to get on the computer and talk?" he had asked.

Ithilwen shook her head, even though he couldn't see it. "No," she typed. "I don't want you to see me crying." It was stupid, but she couldn't help it.

"Oh melamin," Legolas' text read. "I've seen you cry before."

"But not from so far away," she responded. "I don't want to make you feel bad."

"I only feel bad because I can't be there to hug you."

"I know." Ithilwen sniffled, rubbing her eyes again as she switched to typing by thumb. "I woke up before we reached Valinor, though. It was nice to see that Gimli came with us." She sent the message, thought about it, and decided to push through and ask. "You haven't said anything about Gimli in our talks unless it's been in the past," she typed. "Something has happened, hasn't it?"

The response was delayed, and Ithilwen wondered if she had been better off asking in person. But Legolas did text her back. "I'm sorry Ithilwen," it began, "Gimli passed away two years after your accident."

She sniffled again, feeling the tears well up. Somehow she had expected him to have passed on, but so soon after she had? Guilt overwhelmed her, and she sent an apology with shaky hands, knowing it wasn't her fault already. It just wasn't fair to lose a close friend like that after one had lost their wife. "Did...the ringbearers...?"

"They did," he replied. "Four months before Gimli." Legolas' texts were becoming less structured, and Ithilwen wondered if this was because the memory was upsetting him or if he was trying not to write a book on the small screen. "There is a special tree in Valinor where Gimli had built his tomb years before. Frodo, Sam, and Gimli lay in eternal rest there."

"What...what about me?" Ithilwen asked. "It's morbid, I know, but I'm curious. I don't remember all of our kind's customs."

"Typically, elves bury their kin," Legolas replied. "When I lost you, I couldn't... Gimli helped me design your resting tomb. It lies with them in Gimli's tomb."

"I'm sorry, Legolas. Again." she added. "And don't say it; I can't help it that I feel bad. I wish I could hug you right now."

The text back read, "You will soon enough," and it made her smile. "Now tell me about something good. How did your tests go?"

And so Ithilwen didn't fall back asleep, for she sat in bed for the next couple of hours simply texting messages to Legolas. She had told him that she had been successful in her classes, and he had spoken to her of his adventures in babysitting the younglings. Ithilwen had been happy to hear that they were looking forward to her arrival as well. How he managed to calm her nerves with just typed words was beyond her, but she was ever thankful that he was there.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Better to arrive late than never, right?

Ithilwen would later look back on the night's sequence of unpleasant dreams and be thankful for them keeping her awake, for shortly after she had finished texting Legolas to take a shower, Esther, Thia, and Jack had shown up on her doorstep. Through the peephole in the door she could see a very distorted Thia holding up a plastic bag that happened to be filled with take-away items from IHOP. As she let them in, still wrapped tight in her bathrobe and underwear, she said "You guys are over here early. What's the deal?"

"Done with the semester," Jack said. "Wanted to celebrate."

"Funny, I thought that would have entailed sleeping in."

"Nope, but we've got pancakes!" Thia was overly happy in the morning, and it was a big fault in her character that Ithilwen disliked greatly. She had pulled a Galion and moved to the kitchen with the food in tow, unpacking it on the counter and proceeding to raid the cabinets for plates and silverware.

The elleth drug a hand through her damp hair and sighed through her nose. "Well why you lot are taking care of that, I'm going to go get dressed. I do have plans today, after all."

"That's right," Esther called from the table, "You're going to be going to Scotland to be with your lover!"

"He's not my lover!" came the screeching reply.

* * *

She had thought that the teasing over breakfast would have been it for the duration of her friends' stay. Unfortunately all that came from it was that they followed her back into her room to poke around as she attempted to pack.

"Do you have any suitcases?" Jack asked as he looked under the bed.

"I've got a duffle bag that I used in my gym classes," Ithilwen said, finding the wrinkled mass of dark army green material. She held it up to her nose to sniff it and recoiled quickly. 'Holy fuck - no one said my sense of smell would be _that_ intense!' With a toss, the bag landed near the doorway. "I may have to hang it out my window to air out before I can even use it."

Jack had watched her movements. "No offense, Wen, but you need to buy some decent suitcases."

"And how am I supposed to do that? I don't have a job anymore, remember?"

"But you do have your last check-"

"Yes, and that's going towards the rent on this place until I can find more work."

Esther and Thia were in Ithilwen's closet, pulling out and laying a number of shirts across the bed. "You might want to add winter clothes to the list," she stated. "Scotland's supposed to have cold winters."

"Unless of course she just-" Thia began.

"Ho don't do it-"

"-stays in bed with Legolas the entire time, then she'll be warm for sure!"

"Oh my god."

Thia was grinning widely at her accomplishment. Esther and Jack laughed as Ithilwen's hand went to her face, mumbling something unintelligible. While she moved to get a closer look at what Thia was doing by the bed, Jack had excused himself to use the bathroom. Esther had retreated to the kitchen to fix them something to drink when a distinct noise filled the apartment.

"Ithilwen," she called, "your phone's ringing! Oh no, wait. It's a text message!"

"Could you check it for me?" Ithilwen had called back, not thinking about what she had said. "Thia's got my hands full."

"Are you sure? It says it's from some guy named...Legolas? That's gotta be a nickname, right? That can't be his real name!"

"Yes, I'm sure. And that is his name. That's my friend in Scotland," she shouted from the bedroom. "He's probably just responding to a text I sent earlier this morning."

Esther had set down the bottled drinks on the coffee table and reached for the phone, flicking the screen with her thumb. She assumed that the guy was sending a mundane message that wouldn't make any sense to her, but she was unprepared for what was contained within. "Holy shit," she breathed, looking up and hoping to see her friend come into the room. "You might want to come in here and see this one, Ithilwen."

Ithilwen could be heard bumping around the mess that was in her room as she attempted to get to the living room. She found Esther standing by the coffee table, looking slightly flustered and holding the phone out to her. "What's wrong?"

"Um. Nothing. Just I don't think this is a text that should be shouted across the apartment," she said. "I'm guessing there's something private about it, is all." Esther had only taken the briefest looks at the screen, thankfully.

Hesitantly, Ithilwen took the phone and glanced down. Then she looked again, eyes widening. The text contained within only said, "Looking forward to your arrival, melamin", but it was the photo attached that had stunned her. Legolas had somehow taken a picture of himself in bed, sitting up against his pillows and headboard, with little else but the sheet that covered the lower half of his body. 'What it _did_ cover,' she thought, trying to ignore the thoughts of what lay beneath. Sure, she had seen him naked in her dreams, but now he was teasing her by sending her possibly naked pictures?! That just wasn't fair!

Esther had watched the expressions on her friend's face change, leaving behind a blush on her cheeks. "Something tells me this is more than just a friend," she whispered. "Unless this is a weird custom for guys in Scotland or something..."

"He's...he's just a friend," Ithilwen hated that she was lying, but there was no way she could admit that she technically wasn't single. "We've just flirted a little back and forth, that's all. I guess he's just decided to up the game."

"You gonna pay him back?"

"I...what?"

"Payback," Esther smiled. "Take a sexy selfie and text it back to him. Beat him at his own game!"

'I don't think that's what he'd be beating,' Ithilwen's thoughts quickly went south, and she had to bite her lip so she wouldn't say it out loud. She swallowed, tapping her screen to save the message. "Maybe later," was all she said. No way was she going to do that with company over!

"Okay, I've got to say something, and please don't go getting mad at me, alright?" Esther moved to stand beside Ithilwen, now knowing it was safe to do so. "If this guy's a friend, that's cool. Just be careful when you're over there. I mean I know, you're not the kind of girl to go hopping into men's beds willy-nilly. If you two do make the beast with two backs, and he doesn't treat you right, he's gonna have me to deal with. Cause you're my girl and I love you, but I will cut someone if I have to."

Ithilwen laughed. "I'll be fine, I'm sure," she said. "Legolas has a lot of work on his plate anyway with the company. I doubt sleeping with me would be on his mind."

Eshter looked at her skeptically. "He sent you nudes. There's no way you're not on his mind." She paused, thinking about what the elleth said, and continued. "You and B said this was the company his wife works at, right? It's that Greenwood place, isn't it?"

"You know it?"

"My parent's company is an affiliate of Greenwood's," Esther explained. "I thought the 'Greenwood' in the caller ID looked familiar. He's not a relative of Lee Greenwood, is he?"

"He _is_ Lee Greenwood. 'Lee' is just a nickname he uses in public. Makes it easier to remember."

"Sonofabitch!" the younger woman exclaimed, "My parent's have met with him and I never made the connection! Oh, this makes so much more sense now! You've got to be the luckiest woman ever, Ithilwen!"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Lee Greenwood is one of the most talked-about single men right now," Ether told her. "Any time he's gone out for any social event, he's either taken his mom or his sister with him over a date. A lot of gold-digging women out there want in his pants just for that fact alone, and you're the lucky duck that's been invited to his home!" By the time she had finished her sentence, the woman had been gently smacking Ithilwen's shoulders for emphasis.

Ithilwen didn't have much time to mull over what Esther had said before she was drug back to her bedroom. Through more searching, organizing, and the replacement of many items, the pile of clothes she had that would be deemed "worthy" of spending the holidays in the Highlands was abysmal. Her friends had only intended to stay for a couple of hours, and it had turned into nearly four; not good as they had their own packing to do.

"Here's the number at the cabin," Thia scribbled down the note on a sheet of paper for Ithilwen. "We're probably going to drive up there this weekend, I think. It's the earliest any of us get off of work. We'll have our cell phones of course, but in case you can't get through on them, use the landline."

"You guys are making it out like you're gonna come get me from the next town over," she laughed.

Jack had shrugged as he put his hands in his pockets. "We just want you to take care of yourself is all. When do you leave?"

"Either tonight or tomorrow, I think."

"Really?" Esther looked surprised. "They ain't fooling around, are they? Well then give us hugs now since we won't be seeing you until next year."

Ithilwen hugged each of them in turn and wished them well as they left the apartment. She had been told by Galion the night before that they would come to collect her around noon for lunch. They had some last-minute errands to run around town, and thought it would be easier to just go out to eat. Closing the door, she searched out her clock and saw that she had a little over an hour.

'That should give me enough time to do what I need to do,' she thought, dashing across her apartment and back into her bedroom. She couldn't believe she had been considering the notion, but there she was, digging through her underwear drawers for her fanciest set. Ithilwen made quick work of changing her clothes, teasing her hair into a mess so that it fell haphazardly around her shoulders. Then it came time to think of a pose, and her mind had gone blank. 'Really, what's the point in the internet if not for research?'

She had to keep reminding herself that what she was searching for constituted as research, because it wasn't something she would have normally looked around for. Ithilwen had decided that if she were going to pay Legolas back, it had to be good. Better than good, she wanted to crush him, and the majority of the "research" she found was lackluster. There was one idea that she did find she liked above the rest, but it required a lot of careful positioning from both herself and the phone, along with timing.

'I bet this is going to look like crap,' she thought, straightening and collecting the phone. Ithilwen scrolled through the results and found she was actually surprised. 'These...aren't half bad. For me, anyway,' she grinned. 'And I know just which one to send to you, Legolas. I bet you weren't expecting this!'

* * *

In Scotland, Legolas had stolen away for some private time to finish a stack of paperwork that he had let ride long enough. Since the holidays were underway for many, and Ithilwen would soon be joining him, he didn't want the company work to get in the way of her visit. In fact, work was the last thing he wanted to think of while Ithilwen was there.

Legolas knew he wasn't going to get far with Ithilwen over Christmas. It was a given, both out of his beliefs and her timidness around the subject. That was fine with him. As long as he could just be in the same room as her, he would be content. They would have plenty of time to get reacquainted in the sheets when she was ready. 'I'd never forgive myself if I pushed her into something she wasn't ready for.' His thoughts were cut short as his phone beeped, buried underneath a stack of signed papers on the desk.

Digging around, he found the phone, seeing that it was a text message from Ithilwen. Legolas couldn't help but grin impishly, imagining the flustered face she must have had when she saw the photo. It was an impulse decision, all because of their conversation the morning before. And it was meant to cheer her up from the night's dreams as well. He wished she would have just talked about it instead of text, but no amount of convincing her would change her mind. Legolas tapped the screen with his thumb, bringing up the message from his mate.

"I'll be there soon, Legolas," it said, "Wait up for me?"

And then Legolas saw the picture. "Fuck me," he groaned.

Ithilwen had indeed bested him at his own game, and for once he didn't mind conceding defeat. The camera had been set up with a timer to capture Ithilwen's pose, since there was no way for her to hold the phone up without ruining the shot. She had her hands resting on the table before her, bent forward slightly, and giving Legolas a generous view of the lacy panty set she was wearing. If that weren't enough, the simple shirt that Ithilwen was wearing had been pulled up in the front, so that it's bottom edge was held between her teeth and exposing the matching bra. Her hair was tousled, looking like she had just gotten up from bed, but the mischievous glint in her eyes and the smirk she wore told him that she had carefully planned this.

Legolas could only stare open-mouthed at the photo on his phone, thanking every higher power in existence that everyone else had agreed to leave him be for the morning. The last thing he needed was for someone to look over his shoulder and see his minx of a mate. Perhaps she wasn't as timid as he once thought?

* * *

Roughly ten minutes after Ithilwen had taken the sexy selfie and sent it to Legolas, she had more visitors on her doorstep, or rather it was captors. Thranduil and Galion were waiting patiently when she opened the door.

"You're early."

"Not in Scotland," Thranduil told her smartly. "There we would be late. And to Legolas, you are extremely late, so you had best have a good excuse on hand."

Ithilwen waved them in as she turned to head back to her bedroom. "Dose dying tragically count as a valid excuse?" she called over her shoulder. "Or should I just say that I had college friends over failing to help me pack?"

Thranduil pursed his lips, not finding the humor in her joke, even if she was right. As he and Galion meandered about the living room, he called back to her. "Do you require more time to pack, Ithilwen? We have time to spare today."

Her blond head poked out of the doorway. "Not a chance," she said sternly. "You both told me that we'd be flying out today, and I intend to be ready today."

"She seems to have found her confidence, sir."

"At the very least her dry wit," he muttered as she came out of the bedroom with a wrinkled, dark green duffel bag. "What is that?"

"My clothes."

"That's all you require for Scotland? We'll be there until the start of your term next year."

Ithilwen inhaled slowly through her nose. "It's all I have for winter clothes. We're in California, in case you've forgotten."

It seemed that Thranduil wasn't done ranking on her travel gear. "And this is not even remotely appropriate for holiday travel. In fact, it's falling apart!"

"Well what do you expect when I bought it at the thrift store for two bucks?!" she shot back hotly. "Look, I'm sorry that my things aren't up to part with yours, but you have to remember that I've lived on a waitress' budget for years!" She paused, adding, "Make that an unemployed budget now since I quit my job!"

Ithilwen nearly jumped when she felt Galion's hands rest gently on her shoulders. "The king means well, Ithilwen," he told her softly. "It is only out of concern that he forgets his manners. As Thranduil was _trying_ to say, since we are not certain where your transformation is at present, we would like for you to have proper attire for all occasions in Scotland. The castle is kept very warm, but the outdoors can become downright unbearable to mortals. Further, one small duffel bag would not be sufficient to carry everything you would require."

"Yes, what he said."

The elleth looked between them and sighed. "So what do you suggest I do, then? I can take some money out of my bank account while you're taking care of your errands and go find a coat-"

"That will not be necessary," Thranduil began, noticing the stare of his friend. "You will take this without argument." He placed something small and rectangular into her hand. "Think of it as a very late begetting day present that has accrued interest."

"This had best not be what I think it is."

"Open it and find out."

Ithilwen carefully lifted the flap on the small envelope, lifting out a plastic card. "Is this...please tell me this is just a gift card, guys."

"I am afraid not," Galion told her. "There was no gift card with an infinite deposit amount."

"That is a Greenwood Limited company card," Thranduil explained, watching as her eyes began to look more panicked with each word. "Each one of us has one, and it contains the earnings of our time working. You should be able to find clothing and other personal items for your stay in Scotland at a good quality without so much as denting the balance. Why are you looking at me like that, Ithilwen?"

'Is this what a stroke feels like?' Ithilwen wondered, looking down at the card in her hands then back up to the two ellyn. "Why are you giving this to me? I'm not a part of Greenwood!"

"You are," Thranduil insisted.

"But I've only known about it for a few months!"

"A minor detail," Galion smiled.

"You're both crazy."

Thranduil laughed. "Yes, but you were the one to accept my son's proposal. With that proposal came the rest of us and the future that you would share with Legolas, including the founding and successful development of Greenwood Limited. You are just as much a part of the company as I am, moreso since you are bound to Legolas. Might I also inform you that it was his decision to bestow each of his family these cards to make traveling more efficient? When he drew up the plan, he had already included you in the list, and a portion of the salaries that have been paid out since the company took off has been set aside in your name. And with the span of time that has passed, you are more than set for anything you set out to do."

"Let me get this straight," she said slowly. "Legolas put me on the company salary eons ago, and it's built up an insane amount of money since?"

"That is correct," Galion said.

"W...Why has he not told me this? What else is he not telling me?"

The two ellyn shared a look. "Legolas had his reasons," Thranduil tried to calm her nerves. "Given how you reacted to his paying the student loans in your name, I believe he was afraid you would react badly to learning this piece of news."

Ithilwen exhaled, puffing her cheeks out. "I guess that makes sense," she mumbled. She had gone off the deep end that night. "Well, if I'm a part of Greenwood, then I need to start helping somehow. What can I do?"

"You finish your schooling," the king told her sternly. "Legolas does not expect you to jump into the fray, which I expect is another reason he neglected to tell you."

Galion nudged his friend, adding, "Well, there is something she could do, sir. Ithilwen could calm his nerves just by being present. If I recall correctly it was simply her presence that helped solve any issues that arose when they were rebuilding Ithilien after the war."

"Okay then," Ithilwen nodded determinedly. "I'll do that. Now didn't you two have errands? If I've got to go buy clothes and suitcases, you have to get your stuff done as well."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes! Let's go! Legolas is waiting, and I'm late enough for work as it is!"

* * *

Galion had driven to the nearby shopping center, where Thranduil and Ithilwen were dropped off some twenty minutes later. It appeared that the "errands" entailed securing their flight and the arrangements that went along with it. Thranduil had escorted the elleth to one of the closest clothing stores upon entering and had left her be to shop for herself. Ithilwen had been surprised by this, half-expecting him to follow her around and watch over her shoulder.

"One more thing," he had said before he walked away to another part of the store, "I will be back to collect you, and if I find that you have not selected a sufficient amount of clothing I will pick something out for you. And it will light up."

Okay so maybe the threat had some backing to it, but Ithilwen wasn't about to push her luck. If he was giving her the ability to shop like the adult she was, then she was going to take it. She nodded and sped off to the first racks of sweaters, keeping a wary eye out for anything that might light up just in case he decided to go through with the threat regardless. She wanted to be prepared for whatever bizarre thing he'd throw at her.

Ithilwen had found a few sweaters that she had liked that fit, and during her stint in trying on jeans, she had been startled by a sales associate that had been sent to attend to her purchases. The young woman had carted off the intended-to-purchase pile of clothes while Ithilwen had returned the remaining to their racks. The woman would appear again at sporadic times to check on her, taking any items she had decided to buy and letting the elleth know that if she needed any further assistance but to ask.

It was only after the associate went to add the socks and scarf she had found that Ithilwen realized she might need some warmer underwear. 'Or just new underwear in general,' she thought. The lacy two-pieces she had bought at Walmart earlier in the year only held up for so long before they started to fray, and it was one thing she hadn't let her cousins buy her during their visit. Browsing the intimates section only made Ithilwen frown. She wanted something nice, not cute strawberries or cherries. 'I don't know why I'm acting like this,' she thought, taking a closer look at a darker lace set, 'It's not like I expect Legolas to see them...or...do I? I don't even know anymore!'

The ringing in her purse caught her attention, and she maneuvered her potential purchases around to find the phone. "Hello?" she asked, thinking it was Thranduil checking on her.

"You don't play fair, melamin."

"Legolas?" Ithilwen asked. "What did I do?"

"Don't play innocent, love. You know you sent that picture earlier."

"What pict- oh. _Oh!_ " she had begun to laugh, almost dropping the merchandise. "Look what you made me do, Legolas! I nearly dropped my panties!"

The phone had gone silent and Ithilwen didn't realize until too late what she had said. Then Legolas began to chuckle. "It wouldn't be the first time," he said. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm in a clothing store, and it wasn't like that!" she insisted. "I'm buying clothes! Which, I feel I should thank you for. I mean after all you were the one to put me on the company salary when I haven't put in an hour of work."

Legolas sighed. "I'm glad Adar gave you the card at last, but I won't apologize," he said quickly. "This world isn't the way it was when we lived in Ithilien, and you need a way to support yourself-"

"Which is why I felt I haven't earned this card!"

"Believe me, you have. I owe you more than you know for standing by me when things became difficult in Ithilien. You helped me work out issues you probably won't recall yet, and it was only proper that you be listed as an employee as well at Greenwood."

Ithilwen sighed then. "Well I appreciate it Legolas, but I still feel like I should do something to make it up to you for being absent for so long."

"I have an idea."

"What's that?"

"Buy a lovely set of lingerie and wear it when you're making those cookies you sent back in October?" he asked cheekily. "Maybe feed me some in them?"

"In a home with how many people?" she laughed. "I don't think that'll work!"

"There's two kitchens. Erestor prepares most of the food in the larger one, and all I have to do is tell everyone to leave the smaller kitchen to you for a few hours. No one would disturb us, and they'd just think the moans were from how good your cookies are."

Ithilwen nearly dropped her items laughing again. "You're impossible, Legolas!"

"But will you?" His voice sounded almost hopeful. Hell, he probably was!

"I'll see what I can do," Ithilwen told him gently, deciding to buy a set in a couple different colors. "Do you have any requests?"

"I can think of quite a few, actually-"

"Cookies, Legolas! I'm talking about cookies!"

What Ithilwen didn't realize was that despite the intimates section being in the far corner of the store, she still had an audience. The sales associate had been making her way to check on the elleth when she had been intercepted by Thranduil, assuring her that they would be finished shortly. He had been speaking to Galion previously about the flight arrangements, and told his friend to go ahead and reserve a table for lunch while he checked on Ithilwen. Now he stood in the women's underwear section watching the back of his daughter-in-law as she talked on the phone to his son. The call had come to an end and Ithilwen had tucked the phone back into her purse before turning around, nearly coming out of her skin.

He raised an eyebrow at her lightly flushed cheeks. "Interesting phone call?" She hadn't been talking loud enough for it to carry over the store, but he did have to wonder why the topic of undergarments and cookies were used in the same sentence. Then again, this was his son she was talking to. Better to not know.

Ithilwen sputtered, not expecting to turn and see Thranduil. Just how long had be been there and how much had he heard?! "He- He started it!"

* * *

While the sun was just reaching its highest point in California, in Scotland it had long since been dark outside. Where most would be retiring for the evening, relaxing into their nightly routines before sleep, there were some who insisted on being night owls.

"But we wanna stay up and meet Aunt Ithilwen!" Gwen pouted. "Uncle Legolas gets to stay up and meet her! Why can't we?"

Tauriel's face fell into her hands in frustration. The younglings were sitting down to a later-than-planned dinner once again because she had gotten into a row with Erestor about needing the larger kitchen for an hour, and he had been an oversized brick of stubborn. Now it seemed like the children had inherited this trait from their uncle as well. She couldn't blame them for wanting to stay up; this was a big moment for them all, but it was most important to Legolas. Lifting her head, she gave them her best naneth-face that meant business. "You listen to me," she said gently, "and understand this. Your Uncle Legolas is the only one that should be up to greet your Aunt Ithilwen when she arrives, which will be very late tonight. This is his wife, whom he hasn't seen in a very long time, and I think it's important that he gets to spend some time with her before everyone else arrives. You recall what it's like here at holidays."

The little group of heads bobbed slowly.

"As it is, Ithilwen will likely be nervous about meeting so many people. You have to remember that she doesn't have all of her memories yet, so she will need time to adjust. She has agreed to stay until she must return for school, which will give you plenty of time to drive her up the walls. Not to mention that you lot look sleepy right now; there's no way you'd be awake when she arrived if I did allow you to sit up and wait!"

"I'm not sleepy," Ernil said, even as his head began to droop into his spaghetti-os. "See?"

The naneth sighed through her nose. "Yes, do tell me that when you have tomato sauce and rings plastered on your forehead."

Instead of listening, the little ellon's head had drooped so far into the bowl that when Legolas walked by, he sat up straight in his chair. As Tauriel had predicted, there was a smudge of orangey-red sauce and miniature rings stuck to his forehead.

Legolas doubled back, hearing the noise, and got a good look at his nephew. "I don't think that's how you eat your dinner."

Tauriel buried her face in her hands once more, muttering about how the child took after his adar. When she finished mentally cursing his traits being inherited by the child, she looked up at her brother. "You hear anything yet?"

"I did speak to Ithilwen earlier."

"And?"

"They'll be flying out as soon as they can. Adar insisted that she buy some proper winter clothes because he's concerned she hasn't fully transitioned yet. She also knows about the company card."

"You tell her? Oh wait, I already know the answer."

"I wasn't trying to keep it from her-"

"I know that!" she assured him. "You can't keep not telling her things though. I mean she is going to be living here for a while after all, so if she asks you something you'd best answer her or I will."

Legolas crossed his arms and looked down at his sister. "Is that a threat?"

"You bet your boots it's a threat, little brother," Tauriel smirked. "She's my sister-in-law, and I care about her very much. Now don't you have some last-minute stressing to take care of?" She waved him out of the room, then turned back to the younglings. "Okay, finish your food. You need to wash up before bed."

"But we're not sleepy!"

"Eru says you are!"

* * *

Ithilwen had been mortified to find out that her father-in-law was standing behind her in the women's underwear section of the store while she had been flirting with his son. Sure, they were married technically, but it didn't keep the blood vessels in her cheeks from bursting. He never said anything about the matter, noticing her level of embarrassment, and chose instead to direct her back to the cashier's counter with her purchases. "Galion will be coming around to collect us soon," he had said. "He has arranged for lunch before we move out."

That was all well and good to her, except she had one more thing that she had needed to do. It was more for her peace of mind than anything, but she made it clear that she couldn't fly out of the country until she had stopped by Angela's grave with the bouquet of flowers she had arranged for Christmas. This was the second time she had ever brought someone out to the cemetery with her, much less her actual family. There was guilt in doing it of course, but somehow she knew that her foster mother would have loved to have met these ellyn as well.

Instead of talking to the headstone as she used to, she talked to Thranduil and Galion about who her foster mother was while she arranged the bouquet in the vase. It wasn't something they had normally talked about in regular conversation, because once her true identity came out, there wasn't a moment where it seemed appropriate. They had asked her questions as they stood behind her, inquiring about how she was raised. They weren't intended to be analyzing, but Ithilwen was pretty certain they were trying to determine if this mortal woman had raised the elleth up properly. She shook it off, knowing that there would come a day when she would have to stop visiting the cemetery. The thought was saddening, but Angela had told her the day she was given her estimated time left that she didn't want the girl to linger in the past. 'What was it Mom had said? "If I find out that you've been wasting your years moping over my tombstone I'll haunt you every step of the way"? Sounds about right.'

From the cemetery, Galion drove them to the airport, taking a route most of the public wouldn't have access to. When she asked Thranduil about it, he had reminded her that they were taking a private plane of the company's. Ithilwen struggled to comprehend this even as she was being led towards their pilot, who waited for them with luggage attendants to set their things away safely. 'A company designed to help revitalize the environment, built behind the walls of a castle somewhere in Scotland, headed by a number of elves are family. And they have a private company plane. Right. Yeah. Why am I bothering questioning anything anymore?'

The pilot, she learned, was also a member of the company in more than just transportation. "You must be the Lady Ithilwen," he said to her, shaking her hand, "The laird has told me a lot about you. I'm Payne, and I'll be your pilot today."

Payne was a nice enough young man, though he looked about her age, if not closer to Thia's. He had a nice smile to go with the dark shaggy hair and brown eyes, and it would have been any other female's dream, just not hers. 'Legolas has a nicer smile,' she thought, listening to the young man talk. Then she realized she was being biased. 'Is it because I'm already bound that Payne does nothing for me, or is it that I'm crushing on a husband I've yet to meet in this life? You know what - that's too weird to think about.' Banishing her thoughts, she turned her attention back to his story, which was about his family line. Apparently, his ancestors had a long standing with the company, even going as far back into the days of Ithilien. The furthest they could trace back were the men of the line being guards to the White Lady of Rohan and the Young Steward of Gondor. In a way he was like a fanboy, gushing about his job and the stories he had learned of his forefathers, and Ithilwen found this endearing. It seemed that Legolas had taken good care of his employees from the way Payne talked, and made it a point to inquire about the mundane details in their lives often.

That had been nearly seven hours ago. Ithilwen looked out the window closest to her seat, seeing nothing but dark skies the closer they reached Scotland. With each hour she was growing both more excited and more nervous, but there was no turning back now. She couldn't live with herself if she did anyway. She had tried to spend her time reading, but her vision would gloss over the text. Listening to music had lulled her to sleep for some time, but the light bout of turbulence from a hour before had woken her. Maybe that was the clue for her to start preparing to land.

"How-" Ithilwen had started to speak to Thranduil, but stopped. He had looked up from his book to see her make a face as she tried to find the right words.

"What is on your mind, daughter?"

"It's...ugh dammit," she mumbled. "Okay. Just how many people are going to be at the castle when we arrive? How many am I going to be expected to meet? No one's told me this yet; just that I've got a lot of family."

Thranduil could see the slight panic in her eyes. It wasn't just meeting Legolas that had her nervous; it was meeting _everyone_. Having to relearn their names all over again as if she were a small elfling just learning to talk, listening to them tell her of things she didn't remember yet...it was no wonder she was a mess!

"I believe that tonight the numbers are very small," he told her gently. "Legolas will be there, as his sister and naneth. Erestor and his mate Lindir are there as well. The younglings, I imagine, will be asleep upon our arrival."

"That's...that's not so bad."

"And you have met other members of your family," he reminded her. "Silima, Fiona, and Melda. Not to mention your own parents. However, there are still a number that have yet to fly in, though I imagine they will be arriving in the next day or so. It will happen in waves, if that will ease your mind Ithilwen."

She laughed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I guess I'm just worried about getting names right."

"We are a patient people. There is nothing we won't do to make this easier for you-"

Galion had arrived behind Thranduil's seat. "If you both with pardon my intrusion, Payne has informed me that we will be landing shortly."

"So soon?" the elf king looked up at his friend. "We still have the hour, do we not?"

"Yes, but in the interests of safety Payne will be landing the plane earlier than normal because there are reports of snow in the area. If we were to land at our scheduled time, we would likely encounter an icy runway, thus he's chosen to get us on the ground sooner rather than later. Ithilwen, I would suggest that you change into clothing more suitable for the weather. We have about twenty minutes before we absolutely must land."

For some reason, Thranduil felt like challenging his pilot's decision. "And if we do not?"

"Then I'm gonna have to land you lot in Norway cause we'll have missed our one chance!" was the shouted response from the front of the plane. Payne may have been a human but he still could sense when the elf king was being a prat.

Ithilwen shot up from her chair and reached for her carryon. "I'll go! I'll go!" The last thing she needed was for Legolas to think that any delay was because she had chickened out.

And she knew next to nothing about Norway.

* * *

Miraear looked up from her phone to see her son walking down the stairs with Tauriel in tow. "The younglings are in bed, I take it?"

Tauriel nodded. "It was a fight to get them to stay down though." She had been finger-combing her hair out ever since the little fists had latched on in their sleep. She was jus thankful that they were clean for once.

"That's good, because I just got a text from Galion," she said carefully, noticing that Legolas looked even more alert. "He said that Payne's run into the weather sooner than they expected, and he has to land now or they'll miss the runway for certain. Something about Norway, but the signal was buggy I think."

"What does that mean?" Legolas didn't look thrilled. He had been hoping that this text was saying that they landed and were on their way.

Miraear shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is that they're landing earlier, which will mean they'll have a ways to go to get the plane secured in the hangar before they arrive. It shouldn't set them back sweetheart," she tried to reassure the prince. "You know Payne. He won't let anything happen to her. If he thinks driving down the runway in the plane is safer than being in the air, let him do his job."

"Besides," Tauriel added, "We've made adjustments to the runway years ago in the event of situations like this. If it manages to ice over I will eat my boots with hot sauce, and you know how much I love these boots!"

* * *

The plane had made its landing with ease, much to the relief of everyone on board. Payne however, could not resist cracking a joke that fell short of being funny to Thranduil, despite having his full trust in the mortal's piloting skills. Galion had to separate the two while Ithilwen collected her carryons. She had been wrapped up in three coats, each a slightly heavier layer than the last, and somewhere underneath lay her new thick sweater, jeans, and boots. A knit hat was pulled down over her ears and a scarf was wrapped around her neck, which she pulled up to cover the bridge of her nose the best she could.

As fluffy as she felt in all the layers, she probably could have been rolled down to the castle and not felt the sting of the cold.

Since the plane was brought in out of the weather, she didn't experience the intensity of the screeching winds beyond the walls. Ithilwen could only stand off out of the way as Payne began to shout orders to the nearest staff on hand, having them collect the luggage and set it up in the designated car. Yet, for some unknown reason, someone thought it important to open the small side door nearest to the elleth, so she felt a huge blast of winter air against her back.

"Holy fuck it's cold!" she swore, though the words were muffled under the scarf. Payne had been walking by and immediately steered her over towards the car.

"That's the Scotland winter for you," he said apologetically, opening a passenger door. "Galion informed me that your body temperature is iffy, so I've had them warm the car up for when we arrived."

"Thank you," she told him. "My only saving grace is that I can't catch a cold."

Payne laughed at her sarcasm and told her to just sit tight. It wouldn't be much longer before the rest of the bags were tucked away in the back, and they could be off. She had learned earlier that he would drive them to the castle and back to the hangar to finish his work before heading home. Part of her felt guilty that he would be working into the night, but the other part rationalized that this was part of his job, and that he must have been used to it if he were cracking jokes during a winter storm. As the staff finished packing in the bags, Thranduil slipped in the opposite side of her, and Galion sat up front with Payne. A few more checks of the area, and they pulled out of the hangar into the night.

* * *

"Legolas get still! You're making me dizzy!"

Tauriel watched her brother move constantly around the large entryway of the castle ever since he had gotten the phonecall from their adar. She had hidden the youngling's remaining stash of Halloween candy in an attempt to fend off hyperactivity, but from the looks of her brother, she would have assumed Legolas had found it if it were under different circumstances.

"We can't blame him, Tauriel," Miraear said calmly by her side. Both women were hushed by a distracted noise and gesture from the pacing Legolas. Miraear raised her eyebrows curiously as she watched him try to peak around the edge of the windows near the large double doors. "Everything alright, Legolas?"

"I thought I heard something."

"How could you hear anything in this weather?" Tauriel asked in disbelief. "That wind is utterly ridiculous this evening! It may take Payne longer than normal to get to the house safely!"

"Adar said they should arrive in half an hour."

"And when did he say this, ion-nin?"

Legolas looked around for the clock sitting high on the wall. "About...fuck...twenty five minutes ago. Oh fuck, fuck, fuck..."

Tauriel buried her face in her hands. "Oh god there he goes again..."

Miraear moved over to her son, who had begun to pace more frantically with this realization and managed to stop him just before he ran into her. "Legolas, sweetheart, you need to relax. Everything is going to be okay-"

"But Naneth, Ithilwen's almost here and-"

"And I imagine she's just a bundle of nerves like you are," she said soothingly, cupping his face in her hands. "That is why you need to calm down. If you can show her that you are calm and relaxed, she will ease up as well. Thranduil has told me that she has been anxious over this ordeal long before she ever decided to make the trip, and I can understand why. She is flying to a country that she has never been to, to stay in a large home with people - many of whom she has never met, and has been mulling over the concept of being the wife of a prince that she can barely recall. Ithilwen will be out of her element, and it is up to us to make her feel welcome." Miraear patted his cheek gently. "That all starts with you, Legolas. Be yourself and be sweet to her, and make her feel like she belongs."

"But she does belong-"

"We all know that, but she doesn't. At least not yet," Miraear smiled, stepping away from her son once she felt the tension leave him. "Now I think I heard the car pull up to the front of the house. Be calm and let them get in the door before you pounce," she said teasingly as she rejoined her place by Tauriel.

* * *

Ithilwen could see glimpses of the castle that lay in the distance through the massive amounts of snow, and from the features she could make out, it was massive. "You guys have been busy since you came back," she breathed.

Galion chuckled. "You could say that, penneth. It seems like every year a new feature is added onto the site, and every decade there is a new wing."

"How...how big is the castle?"

Thranduil sighed. "We've lost track, unfortunately. We could have the grounds calculated, but we have been far too busy to hire a contractor that is willing to sign a confidentiality agreement." when Ithilwen looked at him confused, he added, "We've had to, ah, reinvent our identities over the years to maintain an air of secrecy about our race. There are very few in our company roster that know of our true heritage, many of them being descendants from Gondor's general area."

Ithilwen felt the car come to a stop and only then realized that during their talk about the castle grounds, they had arrived just outside the front steps. She felt the quick rush of cold air as both Payne and Galion slipped out to begin collecting the bags. From her right she felt her hand be squeezed by Thranduil's larger one, and she looked up to meet his gaze.

"It's time. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she nodded, wrapping the extra coat around her shoulders once more before following him out of the car. When she blinked through the wind and snow, she could see that Galion and Payne were toting the last of the bags into the front doors. Payne reemerged minutes later, and he shouted something to Thranduil over the sound of the wind before nodding to her as he went back to the car. 'Right,' she thought, 'he still had work to do.' It was only the movement of Thranduil that caught her attention, and she pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders as she followed him up the steps and into the front door.

The air was much warmer than she expected, which was a pleasant surprise. She decided it more than made up for the swarm of attendants who surrounded her and 'assisted' her in removing the layers of jackets. Although, she did feel a bit exposed afterwards, even if she was wearing the long sweater and jeans. Ithilwen hadn't been paying much attention to what was being said between father and son, at least not until she felt an arm reach around for her.

Thranduil had hugged Legolas as Ithilwen was being stripped of the winter coat layers, whispering to him that she was a little nervous. Somehow he knew before Legolas agreed that his son was just as bad, but when the elf king looked to his side to see it empty, he realized that she was purposely using him as a shield. That wouldn't do, of course. Thranduil turned partway and caught Ithilwen under his arm, bringing her to his side, saying, "I think there is someone here that wishes to see you, penneth."

Ithilwen felt the air rush out of her lungs with those words, instinct wanting to run and hide like a spooked animal, but under Thranduil's grasp that wasn't happening. She had to own up and face this like an adult. She had, after all, decided on her own that she was going to visit.

Thranduil had only let go of her once she was standing right before him, in between himself and Legolas. He stood there and watched as the two elves remained perfectly still, neither making any indication of being alive in that moment. Growing frustrated, he gently pressed his hand to her back, urging her forward. "Go on, then," he muttered to her.

To her relief, when Ithilwen looked up to meet Legolas' gaze for the first time, he appeared to be just as unsure as she did. She could see in his eyes the fear of startling her, and of how relieved he seemed to be to see her standing before him. Acting on autopilot, Ithilwen tucked a strand of loose hair behind her pointed ear and smile shyly up at him. "Hello," she said.

That seemed to break the ice between them, for Legolas smiled genuinely at her. "Hello," he replied. "I'm glad that you could make it, Ithilwen."

"Thank you for having me, Legolas." Good grief, what was wrong with her? Her voice sounded like the first time she had talked to him on the phone all over again!

"You will always have a home here, Ithilwen."

Ithilwen glanced down to see his hands twitch at his sides. Was that a nervous habit or was he restraining himself? Thinking quickly on the matter, she decided that it must have been a mixture of both, and it was all because of her inability to calm down. 'I've got to fix this,' she thought, taking a step forward. 'I'm a big girl, I can do this.' Holding up her arms, she asked, "Is it okay if I give you a hug? I feel like you need one right now." Okay, so maybe not the best approach, but she did just make a huge step.

Legolas let out a short laugh and closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms gently around her frame. "It is always okay with me, melamin," he told her.

She discovered very quickly that she liked hugs from Legolas. Watching herself in her memories of them, she could tell that they would be nice, but this was better than any dream. His entire body was like a heating blanket, and though his broad body was firm with muscle, she still felt like she could sink into his hugs.

His grip on her was gentle at first, and then it slowly tightened as he fully processed that she was right there in his arms. Years upon years of searching had led to this moment, and the emotions that waged war inside of him were all fighting to get out at once. Legolas wanted to scream, to yell to the heavens that his mate had returned to him, but right now all that he seemed to want to do was cry, and Ithilwen picked up on this.

"It's okay," she said, feeling her own eyes burn as she heard him sniffle. "I'd say don't cry, but I wouldn't blame you if you did." Her words were mumbled into his shoulder, but Legolas seemed to understand them all the same as he held her tighter to his chest.

"I'm relieved that you've come, melamin," he whispered to her. "I've dreamt of this moment for so long, it's hard to believe it's real."

"Do you want me to pinch you?" Another feminine voice asked from behind Legolas. Ithilwen managed to peek over his shoulder to see a pair of redheaded ellith standing by the stairs. One of them waved energetically at her, and she realized that this was his sister Tauriel. Which meant...was the woman beside her their mother, Miraear?

Legolas pulled back from the hug slightly to look over his shoulder. As much as he didn't want to let her go, he knew he had to introduce his sister to her again, or Tauriel would make every attempt to pull Ithilwen out of his arms. 'No reason I can't be close.' With a hand at the small of her back, Legolas led Ithilwen over to the ellith. "Ithilwen," he said, "This is my sister Tauriel and my naneth Miraear. You may not remember it right now, but Tauriel only thinks she's funny."

"I _know_ I'm funny." she corrected, turning to Ithilwen. "It's so great to see you again, Ithilwen! The girls have been telling me all about their time in San Francisco with you! I'm terribly sorry I couldn't go with them, but the younglings needed to be in school, and I had so much work to do here."

"It's okay, I understand," Ithilwen told the redhead. "It's good to meet you- er again," she laughed. She was slightly taken aback when Tauriel moved in for a quick hug, but she had to remind herself that this was her sister-in-law.

Miraear did the same, though her approach was slower and more calculated. If Ithilwen had to hazard a guess, the older elleth knew that she was jittery. She barely knew Legolas' mother, but she could already tell that she liked her, and must have in her past life as well. "It warms my heart to see you here before us again," she said. "You look like you've been doing very well for yourself!"

Ithilwen couldn't help but laugh outright then. 'If she only knew,' she thought. 'Then again, there's no telling what Thranduil has told her, so she probably does.'

The sound of a throat clearing from across the room drew everyone's attention to the left. There, Ithilwen saw two ellyn, both with dark hair, standing in the doorway. One looked much calmer and possibly soft spoken, whereas the other looked more stern. 'Any chance he was a librarian at some point?'

"Ithilwen," Legolas had bent slightly to whisper in her ear, "This is Erestor and Lindir." He had only meant to inform her of their identity, but the involuntary shiver he felt against him pleased him to no end, 'So her ears are still sensitive,' he mused. 'I wonder if she knows yet.'

The elleth hoped no one noticed the little shiver she felt come over her when Legolas spoke to her. If they did, she hoped they played it off as being startled and nothing else. 'I am not going to admit that I liked that! Nope!' Wiping her hands against the fronts of her jeans, she tried to distract herself. "Hello," she greeted them.

The one addressed as Lindir nodded at her with a smile, but it was Erestor that spoke. "It is blessing to see you once more, Little Star." His voice was gentle, but she could tell that he could quickly add bite to it if needed. "Have you eaten?"

Ithilwen had started to say "Yes", but Thranduil - once again - opened his big mouth. "She has not." Which wasn't true, and she was about to point this out, but the look he shot her told her that the snack foods she consumed on the plane ride were not sufficient enough.

"Come then. I have something that will warm you up from the inside." It was more of a command than a request, and with Legolas' hand still at the small of her back, she didn't have much of a choice.

* * *

Ithilwen had found herself being escorted to the kitchen - or rather the larger one - by the handful of elves. She didn't want to put Erestor out when she found out that he was the one that prepared much of the meals in the castle, but he would have none of it. It didn't help her argument when he made it known that through Galion, he had heard that she had skipped meals in order to work. Given the surprised looks from Miraear and Tauriel, Legolas hadn't informed them of this. 'Can't blame him,' she had thought, 'He got pretty pissed when I told him; there's no telling how mad he'd have been had _seen_ what it was doing to me...' Because of this, a large bowl of homemade dumplings and chicken was set before her by Erestor with the instruction to eat it all. The ellon had set about making Thranduil and Galion eat as well, so she felt like she wasn't being singled out, which helped her self esteem a lot.

And so she had sat at the small table in the kitchen with Legolas watching as she ate her dumplings. It was awkward and quiet, but she had a feeling he just wanted to watch her instead of talk in that moment.

Once she had finished, Legolas led her out of the kitchen and back to where her bags still lay at the door. Ithilwen had been about to suggest that she wash her bowl, but Legolas picked up on it. "Erestor won't allow it," he grinned. "Especially not when you just got here. Maybe in about four months he'll allow you to wash dishes, but for now he insists on taking care of things."

"He's a mother hen," Thranduil snorted, "with balls."

"Funny, I recall a particular king that once wore a crown that resembled a hen's nest!" Erestor said from the kitchen. "Who's the hen now!"

"It was homage to the realm I watched over!" Thranduil shot back, rather immaturely in Ithilwen's opinion.

"Still looked like a nest to me." Ithilwen turned to see the dark haired ellon standing against the doorframe of the kitchen, looking on at Thranduil challengingly.

"And what did you watch over? Ancient relics, wasn't it?"

"Books are timeless, you twit."

"I wasn't referring to the books."

Something flashed in Erestor's eyes, and Galion motioned for Lindir to help him stand between the two ellyn. "Leave it," Galion said. "When he gets here you can have a go at each other in the front yard if it's that important. Otherwise, just save it for Prophunt. It's the holidays, after all!"

"This happens every holiday!" Lindir said exasperatedly.

Ithilwen looked up at Legolas, startled. "Does it?"

He shrugged, as it if was an everyday occurrence. "It's just a handful of the older elves in the castle exchanging meaningless insults. When the holidays run around again, so do the recycled insults."

Thranduil, remembering that Ithilwen was still there, straightened and tried to regain some of his dignity. He turned to her, taking on of her hands in his larger ones. "Do not mind us, my dear. It is all in the spirit of this family. Now, I believe you need to be preparing for bed soon. It has been a long flight, and an even longer day for you. I will leave you in my son's care, as I imagine he would like to show you where you'll be staying while you're here." He leaned forward and kissed her brow lightly. "Sleep well, daughter."

Ithilwen watched as Thranduil collected his bags and disappeared upstairs with Miraear. Galion got his bags and with a nod to them, walked away with Tauriel, who started up a conversation. Erestor and Lindir had since returned to the kitchen. It was then that she realized that she was left alone with Legolas. "Um..." What was she supposed to say? She hadn't expected this to happen so soon!

Legolas had turned away to pick up the bags that were left behind. He noticed how they were new, and even moreso how much lighter they were than he expected. 'Gonna have to do something about that.' She was either nervous about spending that money on the card or she just didn't pack enough clothes for her stay. When he turned back to her, she was looking around the room, hoping she could find something to say to break the silence. 'You don't have to push yourself, melamin.'

"When this castle was built, I set aside a room for you," he said, catching her attention. "As we've changed to keep up with the times, so has it. My intention was for you find comfort here when I found you once again." With a not of his head, he began to walk towards the stairs, and Ithilwen followed him. "It might not be familiar to you now, but the lands we're on at this moment are some of the remains of Ithilien."

"I recognize the name, but I've only seen a few moments of our time in Ithilien," she said slowly, not wanting to reflect on the end of their days at the colony. This night was supposed to be a good start, and she didn't want to bring up sad memories.

"You'll remember," Legolas assured her as they reached the top of the stairs. He had turned down another wing than the others had gone. "Seeing the grounds during the day might help as well."

Ithilwen was having trouble keeping up with what Legolas said and where they were going. Thranduil had told her they had lost track of just how big the castle had become, and it seemed like there were endless stretches of hallway in every direction she looked. Legolas had kept glancing over at her, either to make sure she was still there or that she hadn't fallen behind, she couldn't be sure.

She must have looked as lost as she felt, because he pointed it out. "When you've had proper rest I will show you around the castle. I know it's puzzling right now, but you will be able to get around it in no time."

"If you say so," she laughed nervously.

"I know you will." Legolas smiled. "You got around Eryn Lasgalen with ease before we were married, and Adar had purposely made it difficult for you." He had come to a stop outside of a door that looked to be towards the end of the hallway. It wasn't the last one, for another sat a ways away. "This is your room, Ithilwen," he told her, readjusting some of the bags to open the door.

Ithilwen looked at Legolas, then inside the room, and nearly balked at the size. "You're joking."

But Legolas only smiled, nudging her through the doorway. He moved to shut the door after he set the bags down beside the bed, and remained there as she walked around the room. Yes, it was expansive, but he wanted to give her the best. The decor was simpler, as she had always liked, but he wouldn't stand for anything being subpar. The bed was large, the closet was even bigger, and from the gasp that he heard, she had discovered the bathroom. Legolas couldn't help but smile when she reemerged from the bathroom with a startled expression. 'What had she expected? Adar told me the apartment she rents is too small for the price; did she expect something like that?'

"My...my apartment could fit in this room, Legolas! This can't be mine! Are you sure this isn't yours?!"

He shook his head. "No, but I am next door to you, so if you wish to have me as a bedmate you only have to ask." Legolas walked over to Ithilwen, taking both of her hands in his with a gentle squeeze. "This is yours, Ithilwen. This castle, this company, they belong to you as much as they do the rest of us. I know that's hard to grasp, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You are my wife, my mate...and I'm only going to spoil you further so you had best get used to it."

Ithilwen snorted, making him smile. "You started out so sweet, and then you said that."

"It's true!"

"That's what messes me up," she confided. "You're doing all these things for me, and...I don't know. When people have done things for me in the past, I've found a way to repay them. This? The only way I can possibly repay you for all of this is-"

"Don't say it." Legolas said quickly. "I know what you're going to imply, and I don't want to hear it."

"What? Why?" From how fast he spoke, Ithilwen was worried that she had done something wrong.

"Because," Legolas' hands were now massaging the knuckles on Ithilwen's hands, "I don't want you to think that you have to do things out of your comfort zone to repay me for anything. You told me before you came out here that you were nervous, and I told you that you had nothing to fear from me. I mean that, melamin. Things will happen as they may, and when you are comfortable enough - and only then - will we go further. Besides, the things I have given you were never meant to imply repayment. I was only doing things to help you. You are my mate after all; is that not what I am supposed to do?"

Between the way Legolas was looking at her and the words he was saying, for a split second the lusting part of Ithilwen's mind was screaming at her to jump him. Thankfully, the logical part gagged it. It didn't help that the way he was rubbing her hands felt so good that she was about to doze off standing right there. "I...I guess...you're talking to the wrong person here about marriage though," she joked, making him laugh. "Well then for the time being I'm just going to have to bake a lot of cookies for you."

The sweet smile Legolas had widened. "That, I would love," he said with all earnest. He had a sudden thought, and tugging Ithilwen's hands, he led her to the door at the far corner of the room. "There's just one more thing I wish to show you tonight, and then I will leave you to rest," he told her.

At the door, he opened it, and Ithilwen expected to find a closet. Instead she only saw a short, empty hallway that led to another door some feet away. "It's a hall?"

"Not quite," Legolas grinned. "More of a secret passage. When I was designing these rooms, I included this piece for good reason. Just on the other side of that far door is my bedroom. If ever you feel the need to come see me, and don't wish to go out into the hallway, you can reach me through that door. It's never locked, so you can come and go as you wish."

Ithilwen's brows furrowed. "How did you anticipate me not remembering everything that long ago?"

"Oh, that's just a convenience." Legolas shrugged. "My original intentions were to give us a second room to stow away in for privacy. With the arrival of the younglings I knew that becoming intimate during their waking hours would be difficult when they started to walk, so this passage was meant as a detour. Both rooms lock from the inside, but I wouldn't put it past them to find a way inside. As far as they know, the passage is nonexistent, so if it came to it, we could hide out in there and finish."

"You mean to tell me you built a passage for an extra room for sexy times?!" It was so bizarre that Ithilwen couldn't help but laugh. 'Leave it to him to think of the idea.'

"It wasn't the only reason," Legolas replied defensively, but from the grin he still found it amusing as well. "Your wellbeing is my sole concern, and if that means you wish to sleep in a separate room for the time being, I am fine with it. The fact that you are standing here is enough to ease my mind."

"All joking aside, it doesn't bother you that your wife is in the next room over?"

"If I'm being honest, then yes, but I know you are unsure of things so I will gladly wait for you to come to me." Legolas took both of her hands again and brought them up to his lips, kissing the knuckles on both hands delicately as he looked at her. "Do not worry about any of that right now, melamin. Tonight, you need to rest. I will bid you a goodnight Ithilwen, and pleasant dreams," he smiled, "with me, of course."

Ithilwen laughed again, and Legolas could only smile in return. "Then I will say goodnight Legolas, and pleasant dreams as well."

"They will be even better knowing that you are here in the room next to mine," he told her, disappearing down the passageway to the opposite door.

She watched from her own "secret door" as Legolas entered his room, shutting the door only after he had his. Ithilwen smiled to herself as she crossed over to the bed to unpack some pajamas. Somehow she felt like the hardest part was getting over here, and now that she had met Legolas again face to face, a weight had been lifted from her chest. He had once more assured her of his intentions and patience, and she knew she was in good hands. Legolas had no plans to push her forwards, and given his time spent waiting for her, it was still surprising.

With the warmth of the room, Ithilwen opted for some lighter pajamas than the flannels she had bought. She crawled into the thick blankets and tried not to sigh out loud at how comfortable the bedding was. 'I'm most certainly not going to think about how comfortable his bed is,' she told herself, but the thoughts were there. 'Fuck!'

As she clicked the lamp off at the beside table, Ithilwen knew she was exhausted, and she had only arrived! She tried not to let the thoughts of meeting the younglings or the other members of the castle overwhelm her as she drifted off. For all she knew, the others wouldn't arrive for days if not a week, and she would have plenty to occupy her time in Legolas. 'I guess I'll find out how well Legolas does share when everyone arrives, won't I?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry guys you have no idea! It's been a very bad month for me, and between school arrangements, the IRS, and financial issues I've only been able to peck at this chapter all month. The good news is, things are improving. I've opted for a one month term-break for July so I can get my financial aid cleared up, and I just have to wait on the IRS to send me what I need to do that. Financially, it's gonna be an adventure, but I do have some work to fill up my time presently. And it helps that I have no life and can make a penny stretch like no tomorrow too. Haha!
> 
> But anyways, This is an uber-long chapter that I couldn't split for two reasons; one was that y'all would kill me, and the other was that I couldn't find a decent place to split it if I wanted to. I wanted this to be the chapter that y'all have been waiting for, and I've teased it long enough that I wasn't going to upload it until I finished it how I wanted. If you're more for shorter chapters, the next one should be shorter and more like a regular update. For now, I hope this tides you over while I jump back to Call Me Again, as I've lost my notes for this story in my madness this month. :P I swear I'm organized!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whether it's a case of exhaustion or just jet lag, when one stays in a new place, the next morning is always met with "The hell is this? The hell is that?!"

Ithilwen found herself waking up in a bed that most definitely was not hers.

It had taken about a minute for her to fully process the events of the day before, and with a sigh of relief she fell back into the plush covers and pillows. Really, just how comfortable the bed was should have been a clue! It made her rethink her entire apartment, actually, and not just the shoddy-quality mattress she had bought. 'Everything here is so much nicer,' she mused, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 'I just don't know though...'

When she sat up again, it was much slower as she took in her surroundings. 'Legolas did all this for me. It's really sweet but...I don't know that I deserve it.' No sooner had the thoughts cropped up did she feel the guilt of even thinking them. 'He'd say otherwise, of course.' She turned her thoughts to the time, finding that it was still early in the morning. 'Probably too early to expect anyone else to be up, but since I'm awake I can take a shower.'

The shower, like the bed and everything else, was heaven. The water pressure was amazing, and it had taken all of her willpower to get out from under the large shower head before she wrinkled. "Yup, refreshing doesn't do that shower justice," she said to herself as she walked back into the room, wrapped in her towel.

Ithilwen had to shuffle through all of the drawers to find what her underwear, having forgotten where she stuffed them the night before. Once she slipped them on, she removed the towel and set in in the laundry hamper, then turned to the huge closet where she had hung her clothes. It hadn't occurred to her just how little she had brought until she looked inside the walk-in closet that morning, and it was with a feeling of dread that she realized that absolutely none of it felt appropriate to wear in a castle. "Fuck," she hissed. 'What am I supposed to do? I didn't think it was an _actual_ castle I'd be staying in!'

After some internal screaming and debate with herself, Ithilwen had selected a pair of jeans, a cotton long-sleeve shirt that was very lightweight, and pulled a baggy sweatshirt on over it. She grabbed the boots she wore from the night before and pulled them on over her mismatching knee socks, pulling the legs of her jeans over. 'It's going to have to do,' she told herself as she looked in the mirror. 'Of course it's not appropriate, but what am I going to do?'

* * *

The dread Ithilwen felt at dressing for the day was only dwarfed by the knowledge that she still didn't know where she was going in the castle. The hallways were incredibly long, and she had been doing good to make it to the staircase that she believed she climbed last night. If it wasn't, then she had gotten turned around somewhere, but at least she was on the bottom floor. Or was she?

'And once again, I jump headfirst and don't look for rocks,' she grimaced, looking around the open area. Ithilwen turned on her heel, hoping that she would be able to see someone in one of the doorways that she could ask for help from, but no such luck. It was only after a complete turn did she find a group of children standing right behind her.

"H-hello," Ithilwen said, trying to slow down her heart. 'They didn't make a sound!'

There were five children - elfings she realized - looking up at her expectantly, still wearing their pajamas. She had only seen them briefly in the web cam chats with Legolas, but she couldn't mistake the resemblance to the ellith she had met. "Melui," she began slowly, hoping she pronounced their names right, "Gwend... Ernil... Innion... And Baineth. Did I get them right?"

From the large smiles that broke out, she had. "Aunt Ithilwen!" was said excitedly multiple times, and she had to steady herself to keep from being toppled over when they huddled around her hips to hug her legs. Ithilwen found herself smiling despite herself as she tried to bend and hug each of them.

"It is good to finally meet you all face to face," she told them sincerely. "Your naneths have spoken about you so much to me since I met them again that I was growing anxious waiting for the school year to end!"

"So you'll be staying here, then?" Innion asked.

Ithilwen froze, unable to answer that question. Thankfully, her savior and mate came to the rescue. "She just arrived last night, you lot," Legolas said. She looked up to find him coming down the staircase. "Allow her the opportunity to decide if she wishes to remain here in Scotland!"

"But you want her to stay, Uncle Legolas!" Gwend blurted out.

"Yes, but your aunt also has school to finish," he replied cooly, though Ithilwen knew that he was mortified she learned that. "She is almost finished with her degree. It would be selfish of me to ask her to give that up."

He met her gaze as he said these words, and she see plain as day that if he had it his way she'd never leave his side. Legolas wanted her to stay, but he wasn't about to force her to give up her goals for him. 'You really shouldn't be making me feel this way this early in the day, Legolas,' she thought to herself.

"But what if you order the school to let her finish here?" Baineth asked. "You're the king, you can do it!"

Ithilwen couldn't help the laugh that came up at the innocent question. Legolas smiled in response and began to pluck the younglings from around her. "And what if you lot go into the dining room for breakfast?" he answered, ushering them off. They grumbled complaints, but obeyed his request regardless. When they had left his sight, Legolas turned back to Ithilwen and smiled apologetically. "They mean well-"

"It's okay," she told him. "It's a very sweet thing to ask. They care about you a lot."

Legolas rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "How...how did you sleep?" he asked, feeling the air change between them now that they were alone.

"Very well," Ithilwen said. "It's been the best I've slept in a long time." She giggled, adding, "I think your bed has spoiled me for the one back in my apartment. It is far more comfortable."

Unable to stop himself, he said, "Perhaps it would be more comfortable if I were to be under the covers next to you?"

Ithilwen's giggles turned to laughter. "Not having a computer screen between me and your naughtiness is going to take some getting used to!" Legolas didn't have to tell her the suggestive question was just teasing. She knew better by now.

"At least now a good morning kiss isn't unattainable," he kept going, happy to hear her laugh again.

She didn't know what had possessed her to suggest it, but before she could stop herself, Ithilwen asked, "Would a kiss on the cheek suffice for now?" From the surprised look on Legolas' face, and the heat on her own cheeks, neither expected that response.

"I wouldn't be against it, melamin."

Legolas hadn't anticipated this from his mate so soon, but when she stepped forward and pressed her lips lightly to his cheek, he knew she was coming around to their relationship. That little action was enough to leave him happy for the remainder of the day, if nothing else. She stepped back, blushing and smiling shyly up at him, and for once in a long time he felt the same. There didn't need to be any words shared between them as he offered her his arm to escort her to the dining room. It seemed that boundaries had already been established between them that went further than either expected, and if all Legolas got out of her stay was a kiss on the cheek every morning, it would be enough.

Meanwhile, in the dining room, five rambunctious younglings were all talking at once to the weary elleth that was trying to set the table around them. Tauriel could make out the occasional word about her brother, Ithilwen, and if she would stay after Christmas. Finally, she shushed the group by waving a croissant from the basket in her other hand. Food always got their attention. "You can each tell me - one at a time - after you've gotten some food in you," she said, placing the basket down in the center of the table. 'Where in Arda are your grandparents,' she mentally tsked. 'They could be down here helping, but nooo! They want the grandkids but none of the responsibility of being a grandparent!'

Of course Tauriel knew where they were. She just preferred not to dwell on it too thoroughly.

* * *

Upstairs, down another wing of the castle, and tucked away in the darkness of the room lay a moving bundle of covers. The covers, or what was contained within, were a mixture of groans and soft pleas that increased to gasps and name calling before all movement stilled. Old elves they may be, but that did nothing to deter the craving for intimacy between them.

The covers were pushed back slightly to show a flushed Miraear looking over at Thranduil, snickering at his disheveled hair as he pulled her body against his. Thranduil looked down at her and asked, "What are you thinking, melleth?"

"Just that...you know...that was a long time coming, wasn't it?" The snickers turned into a snort before full-blown laughter escaped her lips.

"Why did I choose to leave you alone again?" he asked dryly.

Miraear composed herself and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Because you wished to go make amends for being an ass so long ago, that's why."

"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

"Not nearly as harsh as what I heard come from Ithilwen when she first jumped your hurdles when they were courting." She attempted to stretch, but being held against Thranduil, all she did was stir things up within him again. "Are you going for a second coming, now?"

Thranduil's arm lifted up from around his mate's waist to cover his eyes in dismay. "That was in poor taste in many ways, Mira."

"I was being serious! How is it not jet lagged?"

"Because we missed you too much?"

Miraear laughed again. "You're cute," she said as her leg slowly crept around his hip. "You think we can make this one quicker? I'd like to sit down to breakfast with my daughter-in-law this morning if you don't mind."

He growled low in his throat at her shift in position. "Do you want it done quick or done right?"

"Quick. I'm hungry!"

"I'll give you something to be hungry about, cheeky elleth!"

"Now who's being dirty-minded-!" Anything else Miraear had been about to say had fallen into squeals and laughter as her mate was good on his word. Breakfast could wait, and if they missed one morning, well...there was an eternity to make up for it.

* * *

Miles and miles away, a rented car traveled alone on a straight road through the countryside. For the three individuals inside, the task was simple enough; drive out to the designated meeting place, pick up those that were to arrive, then drive back home. Easy enough.

However, when the three in question are very old elves, it is anything but simple. Their destination was far out past any city, and even further out past any rural residences. For many mortals, their path would have simply been looked at as an odd tourist goal, but it was so much more. The coastline they were driving to had once been the path to the road home, but after centuries of change, much of the land had broken away, leaving behind only a rocky seaside that was shrouded in myths. Tales were spun about a mysterious island that would only appear for a day every seven years, and despite its visibility, no man could reach it. To the elves, there was no mystery about it; it was the final remains of the Gray Havens.

It was how they reached Arda in the search for Ithilwen, and it would be how they would return home once and for all.

Today was different though. Glorfindel knew it, as did the twins. Miraear had been very demanding when she requested that they pick up the remainder of the family, as they had been the closest to travel. Since the span of time for the elves to cross from the island was so narrow, they hadn't bothered to argue. Unfortunately, that was saved for this morning.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to be driving out to the coast?" Elrohir asked. "I mean you did fall off a cliff and all..."

Pale fingers clenched the steering wheel until the knuckles were white, but Glorfindel's voice was eerily calm. "If you wish it, I can pitch you over the edge when we arrive so you can have the fun all for yourself."

"I'd rather not. Tauriel would bring me back from the dead just to kill me."

"If you keep making jokes like that you'll be lucky if Glorfindel doesn't kill you, brother."

"Thank you, Elladan-"

"No really. When we get there, you're gonna put your hair up in a bun, right? You have a lot of hair-"

Now, Glorfindel growled. "One more word about that incident and I swear to Eru that I will tie you both to the hood of this car by your own hair and make you a hood ornament!"

Silence fell inside the car. While the twins knew he wouldn't make good on those threats specifically, they knew that he could torture them in other ways that didn't involve kinslaying. The blond ellon sighed through his nose as he counted mentally to ten so he didn't do something stupid. When it seemed like the tension had left, Elrohir glanced back to his brother from the front seat, then back to Glorfindel. "So how do you feel about that season finale of The Big Bang Theory?"

"I bet it was his Mee Maw's ring," Elladan offered.

Glorfindel's jaw dropped slightly. "Why?" he wailed, "Why would you say that?! You do know how long it takes these mortals to put up the new seasons, right?!"

* * *

While Ithilwen was waking up to a new day in Scotland, back in San Francisco, another couple were busy packing for their own adventure. Or they would be, had they not been spending the late hours of the night arguing. Jack had been making some progress with his clothes when Esther had gotten a phonecall. He hadn't thought much of it until he heard his girlfriend begin to snap back at whoever it was over the phone, and no sooner had she reappeared with a sour expression that he understood.

"What's the verdict this time?" he had asked, feeling his own stomach drop in dread at the news.

Esther slung her phone on their bed, glaring at it as if it were at fault. "My parents want me to come back home for Christmas."

"Oh."

She sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. "I'm not going, Jack. You know this."

"Yeah, but do they?" he snorted.

"I told them that I had already made plans with you and Thia, that I wanted to spend more time with my friends because we rarely get the free time now."

"And?" He knew there was a response. There was always a snooty response concerning Esther's parents. Even when it didn't need one, they could think up something on the spot.

"Do I really have to say it, Jack?" She looked over at him. "They told me that family comes first, and if I weren't being so uppity about it, that I would see that."

Jack balled up another pair of socks and chucked them at his open suitcase. He had thrown it with a little more force than was necessary, and it bounced out again. "What's the real reason they want you to come home, Es? They've been calling more often since Thanksgiving."

Esther walked over to pick up the roll of socks and set them firmly in the suitcase before she answered. "They told me that there's someone I should meet," she began slowly, feeling the air tense. "A guy named Kozmotis Pitchiner. He's supposed to be a CEO of some big organization, I don't know. All of the guys my parent's try to introduce to me are usually CEOs."

"Then maybe they're right," Jack mumbled.

"What's that now?"

"Maybe your parents are right!" Jack said a little louder. "Your parents clearly see the things I lack, Esther! I have no credibility to my name, no money, and no way to support you! We come from two different social worlds, and it's obvious to me that they have no intentions of ever making me feel welcome because of that. I have bit my tongue until it's bled so that I don't alienate you from your family, because that is the last thing I want for you-"

"Jack! Dammit will you just listen!" Esther marched around the bed to stand before him and shoved him in the chest. "My parents only like the suitors _they_ pick out. It's never been about you, because even before we started going out they never liked any other boy I introduced to them. The money doesn't matter to me, and I would have thought by now that you would have known that! I'd rather be disowned and with you than shacked up in a mansion with some jerk who only wants me for my parent's money! Do you understand me, Jack? I love _you_. No one else. There will never be anyone else."

Jack's mouth was pressed into a thin line as he stared down at his fiance, who was giving him her best glare in response. He had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself before he spoke. "Can you blame me?" he asked weakly. "Every time they call I can't help but wonder if you're going to wise up and leave, and it scares the hell out of me. I can't provide you with the things you deserve, Esther. I don't know if I'll ever be able to. I just don't want you to wake up one day and realize you made a mistake by marrying me."

Esther's lips quirked up slightly. "You are an ass, Jackson Overland. Do you really think that I'd be that shallow? Money has a purpose; it's not an accessory. I don't want Gucci anything. I don't even like lobster. All I want is you. Just you and me, living a normal life of paying bills, eating Corn Pops, and a 9 to 5 job through the week. We'll work things out as they come along." She slipped her arms around his waist, and he returned the gesture, pulling her close.

"Just you and me, huh? I thought you wanted kids?"

She shrugged. "One day. It doesn't have to be now. I mean we're in school. Let's do things in order."

"Then in that case I need to pack my chastity belt," he said smartly. "I can't have a temptress like you trying to lure me into sin anymore than you already have."

Esther narrowed her eyes at his widening grin. "You really are an ass."

* * *

"You know I'm not entirely sure I'll remember where everything is," Ithilwen joked halfheartedly as she sat back in the plush chair that Legolas had offered her.

As soon as breakfast had concluded, Legolas insisted that she be taken on a tour of the castle, and with the boyish grin at her acceptance, Ithilwen knew she couldn't have said otherwise. Offering her his elbow as per the old ways, he had led her all over the interior of the castle, going into great detail about the history of the rooms decor to what they had formally been when the castle had been initially built. Ithilwen had absorbed all of the information like a sponge, but she couldn't help but feel that she'd need more than just a memory to get around.

"I'll never be far," Legolas assured her. "And once everyone arrives, it will be easy to find someone around here to help you find your bearings." He made a small gesture around him. "This is the last room I wanted to show you. This is my- or rather I should say _our_ -personal library."

"A personal library? Really, Legolas?" Ithilwen cocked an eyebrow at him.

"When these lands were populated by the elves in the Fourth Age, a number of historical texts that were not carried over by Lord Elrond were transferred from Imladris. What remained after our departure was collected by King Eldarion and preserved in Gondor's shelves. This spot right here was once part of our home. The collection then was not nearly as large as what you see today, but it was a place of our own."

"So you mean...this...was ours?"

"As I told you last night, we are on the remains of Ithilien," Legolas smiled. "But a good portion of the castle was part of our personal home in the colony."

Curiosity got the better of Ithilwen and she had to ask. "Which part?" She really hoped she wasn't coming off sounding too eager, but she was greatly enjoying this rehash of her former life.

"The wing that our rooms are located in, specifically," Legolas looked thoughtful. "And this room of course. We had a decently sized talan, so it is likely that another wing of the castle would equal the amount of space we had."

'Such a big home for two people?' Ithilwen had been about to question it when she already knew the answer. 'Right. That's on me.' She mentally winced. "Can...can I ask you something, Legolas? I mean I know we've talked about it before, but..."

"You can talk to me about anything, love. No one will bother us here, so you don't have to worry about eavesdropping."

She nodded, chewing her lip. "We had talked about having kids, right? What I'm still confused about is...why did we wait so long? From what I've gathered, we both wanted a family, so I don't understand why we kept putting it off."

Legolas sighed lightly, and she wondered if she had been better off not asking. "It never felt like the right time," he told her softly. "When we headed the colony, we were both busy with work much of the time at the start. Maintaining peace among the elves, building homes for everyone, providing for the land to restore it, the list was never ending. And then there was the promise I made to Aragorn, that I would remain at his aid until mortality took him."

"That's when you tried to get me to sail to Valinor without you," Ithilwen said suddenly, and he looked up at her surprised. "I remember some things," she laughed. "I also remember telling you there was no chance in hell that I'd leave your side."

Legolas smiled, recalling those particular arguments. "Yes, you most certainly did. You never left my side as we witnessed the funeral either, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. You took care of me in those days when I couldn't care for myself."

"Isn't that what a wife is supposed to do?" She blushed, somehow feeling embarrassed for her former self.

"We take care of each other," he corrected. "And we always have."

"Alright, so...why not after we reached Valinor?"

"That one still puzzles me," Legolas admitted, leaning back in his chair. "We had to build a home once more, but soon enough it was completed and ready to start the family we had always talked about. Our responsibilities in Valinor were not nearly so many that we could not have followed through with our plans." He shook his head. "Sometimes I sit up at night thinking about why we never tried. I've begun to wonder if either one of us was truly ready to begin a family."

Ithilwen looked at the ellon across from her sadly. 'We were probably much younger than we realized,' she thought. 'Maybe neither one of us was mentally ready for that kind of responsibility.' Before she could stop herself, she asked, "How do you feel about it now?"

Legolas looked up at her then, startled by her question. "Beginning a family?" She had nodded at him. "I am ready to start a family now, even if it be a small one."

"Oh." 'Of course he'd be ready, you dimwit!'

"Ithilwen," he said again, "Do not think that my desires outweigh our current situation. I want you to regain your memories, to finish college like you want to. I don't want you to try and please me by doing something you're not ready for yourself. We have all the time we need to have children, so do not rush your life on my account."

"But-"

Legolas leaned forward in his seat and took her hands in his. "I want you to come to me when you are ready to take that step, Ithilwen. Only when you are ready. I have been a patient ellon this far; I'm certain I can wait however long it takes."

"You're telling me that you wouldn't have a problem if, during the entire time I'm here, that I don't sneak into your room at night in some skimpy underwear?" Ithilwen couldn't help but laugh at the pained expression on Legolas' face, and from the pause it was clear he was trying to create the image in his mind.

"Alright, I won't lie to you. I would be sorely disappointed, but I'm not expecting anything. I just want you to enjoy your time here with me."

"I appreciate your honesty, Legolas, but what are you going to do when I go back to California to finish school?"

"Follow you?" he laughed. "I would like to be able to visit you sometimes."

She smiled. "I bet that can be arranged, but my apartment's small. You'd have to stay with Thranduil and Galion."

Legolas looked like he was pouting. "You mean I can't sleep in your bed?" he asked innocently.

"My bed in my apartment is a third of the size of the one here!"

"So we'll snuggle," he reasoned. "I'll hold you close to me. I can't guarantee I won't poke you-"

"Stop! Stop!" Ithilwen laughed, making Legolas grin. He was just picking around with her, but she still felt her cheeks get hot.

"Funny, you never told me to stop before," he went on. "In fact, I recall many times you begged me not to stop..."

Ithilwen's hands covered her face in embarrassment. There was no denying it; the blush wasn't from the excessive laughter. "You're terrible! What am I going to do with you?"

Legolas smiled sweetly at her when she uncovered her eyes to look at him. "I wouldn't mind taking you out every once in a while during your stay."

"You mean...as a date?"

"Of course."

"Oh." For some reason, the thought had never occurred to Ithilwen. Perhaps it was because she was already married, she never gave the thought of dating her husband an option. Her mind had registered that being married meant she had to jump into bed with him and continue on with her life as she had before the accident. This was unclear territory for her, and more importantly, it was also a small step that Legolas would rather she take with him. That thought alone earned him brownie points. Ithilwen found herself smiling back at Legolas, adding, "I would like that."

The smile that she received mirrored the one he had given her that morning, and she was certain that it would be a memory she'd cherish when she returned to class in the new year.

They spent the remainder of the late afternoon in the library just talking, pausing to return downstairs to eat dinner with the rest of the house. Both faced a number of teasing jabs from the other adults about their disappearance, but Legolas had stepped in and made it clear that nothing "suspicious" would be happening. As much crap as he had been given just waiting for Ithilwen to return, there was no way he'd allow them to ruin their personal moments of conversation because they thought he couldn't control himself. On the contrary, that was something he was doing quite well.

* * *

Long after the sun had set and the stars rose in the night sky, a light fog had blanketed the coastline, leaving the area in a haze. Much of this part of the world had been asleep for hours now, and thus would not witness that which has been only spoken of in stories. With so many steeped in technology, there isn't much room left for old folk tales of hidden islands.

There was one vehicle that was parked near an old, worn-down pier that had been left to rot by time. It's passengers were waiting by the shoreline, looking out across the body of water and into the mist. With their advanced eyesight, they could see the remains of their culture tucked away in the island that would remain unreachable by mortal men. Looking closer, a small black mass could be detected moving through the mist over the water.

It was a boat, and not one that was built recently. It's make was not nearly as worn as the pier that lay against the coast despite its age. This boat was built by the elves. It brought them back to Arda, and one day it would send them back.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It ain't the holidays unless there's arguing. Usually it starts after the alcohol has been served, but it can happen during travel, so pack accordingly.

"You know we could have just waited for Payne to come out with the private jet," Bernard stated flatly as he looked out across the airport. "But nooo. You girls had to book the first flight back to Scotland, and now look where we are!"

"Does it look like we don't know that?!" Silima snapped back.

A freeze had hit the east coast an hour before their scheduled flight, effectively grounding them and everyone else until the next morning, at the earliest. With no specific time to come back, the traveling elves were left to wait it out for the night in the stiff, uncomfortable chairs and watch others complain to the staff or meander about like zombies. In order to catch their flight on time, they had gotten little sleep before, and the probability of rest at the airport was nill. Adding in a lack of sufficient food, since snack machine candy bars didn't count, and the whole group was cranky.

Melda tried to recline in her seat and frowned. "Can we not start this blame game again, guys? It doesn't matter how we fly, the point still stands that there's ice on the runway. Payne would have been delayed getting to us while they throw salt on everything."

An audible groan from someone around her responded. Finally, in a bleak voice, Silima said, "Sorry for snapping at you Bernard."

"S'alright, Silima. Sorry for being sarcastic."

"It's alright. I know that's just you."

Fiona sighed and looked at her watch again. "Anyone heard from anyone else? Do we know if Payne got them there yet?"

A new voice came from behind the slouched group of elves. "We got a text from Mira on the drive over here." When they turned, they were surprised to find that Morwen was standing there with bags at her feet. "She said that Ithilwen arrived safely, so don't worry. The younglings already adore her, and I think Legolas is going to have some competition for her attention."

"What are you doing here, Aunt Morwen?" Fiona asked. "Where's Uncle Haldir?"

Morwen dropped down into the closest empty seat, using her booted feet to drag the bags over. "Well, our flight had a layover here in New York, and coincidentally the flight we were supposed to get on here has been delayed. Your uncle has gone over to the help desk to hopefully get a timeframe so we can at least eat."

"Then you'll be flying with us," Melda said, brightening a little. "Our flight was delayed as well."

"Then that's one good thing to come out of this evening-" Morwen paused as her phone beeped. She pulled it from her coat pocket to find a text message. "Haldir says that they're going to try and have the runways ready for a 4 a.m. takeoff. We won't get to sleep, but we will get supper tonight. He's gone to get a rental and told us to meet him at the entrance."

As they stood up, each groaning with some level of discomfort, Melda pointed out that that news was the second good thing to come out of the evening. Elves may not have needed sleep often, but being deprived of food when one's used to eating on a schedule is almost torture. She told Morwen that if they hadn't gotten a decent meal until Scotland, she feared that one of them would have tried eating part of the airplane.

* * *

On the third day of her stay at the castle, Ithilwen had been backed into a corner. She had expected it to some degree, but not like this. In her wildest dreams she had never expected _this_. It was inconceivable, and yet, she found that she couldn't say no.

Not when five sets of eyes were watching her.

"Please, Aunt Ithilwen?" Gwen begged.

"We'll be good, we promise!" said Ernil.

"We'll help you clean up!" came from Melui, although she received some surprised looks from the other younglings.

A few feet behind them stood Tauriel. "You did mention it," she said, looking at her sister-in-law with sympathy. She knew the look those kids were using on their aunt. It was the same look they used to rope her brother into playing with them all day. It was a bit early to use the tactic though, and she tried to steer them away from the topic, but Ithilwen succumbed. 'Dammit.'

"I did say I'd make cookies," she nodded, and Tauriel knew the elleth was going to regret it. "But I don't want to get in Erestor's way, though. I know he's really busy right now-"

Said ellon walked by at that moment. "And Erestor will be using the larger kitchen to cook, penneth," he said, taking her arm. "Come. I will show you to the smaller kitchen, and you and the younglings can create whatever confectionary treat you wish."

The younglings were a mass of chatter and laughter as they ran ahead of the adults, and Tauriel followed the two as well. Legolas wasn't going to be too happy with this, having wanted to show her around more of the castle, but surely the prospect of having Ithilwen's cookies again would lift his spirits. She hung back as they entered the smaller kitchen while Ithilwen claimed it was "bigger than her campus cafeteria". She would stay and help if needed, if nothing else than to keep an eye on the five little ones. Erestor had given her a tour of the kitchen, showing her where all of the materials were. Before he left he made it a point to tell her that if she needed anything for her projects, to write it on the notepad stuck to the refrigerator.

While the little ones were poking around in the pantry, Ithilwen looked over at Tauriel with concern. "Does Erestor always sound like he's lecturing, or is that just on me?"

"What do you mean?"

"He told me in a strict tone that anything I needed, I needed to write on the list, like I'm a child! I almost feel like I'm being reprimanded!"

She laughed. "In a way, you are, Ithilwen. I think Erestor caught wind of your inability to ask for assistance, so he wants to ingrain that in your skull while you're here."

"So I am being reprimanded."

"No, just reminded." Tauriel slipped an arm around Ithilwen's shoulders and pulled her into a half-hug. "You're with family now, Ithilwen. We help each other out; that's just how it is. Besides, it's also an efficient way of doing things, since we make grocery runs about every three or four days. Erestor's a stickler for lists."

* * *

With patches of black ice on the roads back to the castle, Glorfindel had been forced to stop at a small hotel the night before they had passed going out to the shoreline. It would set them back a few hours, but there were far too many cranky elves packed into the small car. The good news to come out of the stop was that the owner was more than accommodating for the late travelers, however the stop did nothing to sort out the ill moods.

The former captain frowned at the image of Erestor on his laptop screen. He had been detailing everything that had happened since they picked up the rulers, and all the dark-haired elf could do was comment about how he was happy to be left to cook. "You're an ass."

"And you volunteered to drive out to the docks," Erestor pointed out, motioning with the spatula in his hand.

"I believe it was Miraear that delegated this task to us." Elladan slid into view beside Glorfindel. "We didn't have a choice as we were the closest on the return trip."

Erestor was seen shrugging. "No matter. You three are there, so suck it up. Where are they, anyway?" He had yet to see any sign of Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond, or Celebrian since he had been contacted.

"Elrohir has taken them to get a change of clothes, something I am not ashamed to miss." The other twin looked positively gleeful, knowing he had gotten off easy that night. He'd pay for it, of course, but at least he didn't have to make up a lost-luggage story on the spot if anyone asked.

"Well as you've caught me in the middle of work, I must let you go for now. Please tell them that we look forward to their return to the castle." With that, Erestor's chat window disappeared off the screen, ending the session.

Glorfindel muttered about how the scholar was still an ass while Elladan took the laptop and returned it to the bag. He was just zipping the sleeve closed when the door to the hotel room opened, and turned, expecting to see his adar and grandfather dressed in something similar to the muggle-ignorant wizards of Harry Potter, only to be disappointed. "You're still wearing your robes!"

"You expected them to be naked then?" his brother asked, shuddering.

"No! I thought you were taking them to buy clothes!" It was then that Elladan noticed the bulging bags in their hands. "Why aren't you wearing the clothes? You're supposed to blend into this society now!"

Celeborn sniffed in displeasure as he dropped his bags into the closest chair. "These clothes are not proper attire for once-rulers. Why can we not wear our own clothes when we are in private company?"

"You're going to be seen by mortals, Grandpa! You can't go around dressed like Elton John joined the Force!"

Glorfindel snorted. "That would be your father-in-law, Elrohir."

Elrohir waved his hands dismissively. "Same thing! Look, Thranduil wears the modern clothes without complaint, why can't you?"

Elrond cleared his throat to get his son's attention. "Do you really think it wise to antagonize your grandfather just off the boat?"

"Give your son credit, melleth," Celebrian smiled. "He did wait until we found shelter to do so."

Galadriel had been rummaging through her own bags, pulling out a long coat and draping it over her shoulders. "If it will please you, we will put on these mortal clothes before we leave this place in the morning."

Elladan's shoulders relaxed at the promise. He had hoped someone out of the group would understand. "Thank you, Grandma."

She smiled, and unable to keep this information to herself, added "The reason your grandfather is not pleased with these mortal designs is that he struggled with the metal closure on his trousers."

"The button?" Elladan asked in disbelief.

"The zipper," Elrohir said.

* * *

Legolas had long ago accepted that in order to win Ithilwen's heart back, it would take patience. He couldn't push her into loving him; that was something she would have to rediscover for herself. In the meantime, he had every intention of wooing her in the hopes of speeding things along, but he was constantly being met with obstacles on the way.

The first had been the direct orders from practically everyone to not go to California as soon as they had found her. That one stung, and for months he had nothing to go on but stories from Bernard, then her voice, and finally seeing her through the computer. The second was her lack of memory - another knife in his heart, but she was steadily recovering those lost moments of her past. Finally the most recent was Ithilwen's insecurities about everything between them. Legolas had hoped that by the time she had arrived in Scotland that these fears would have disappeared, but they persisted. He couldn't fault her, as he was just as unsure about being around her once again. Not knowing the limits of what he could and couldn't do or say around her was maddening, but he feared that if he pushed, she would regress. It was something that he couldn't bear the thought of, and so he made it a point to remind her that he would go with her pace. These words must have begun to sink in, as Ithilwen had greeted him again that morning with a kiss on the cheek.

It was approaching noon, and he hadn't seen his mate in hours. There had been a spontaneous call from a board member about company business before the holiday break that he had to return after breakfast. Once he got off the phone however, he couldn't locate Ithilwen no matter where he looked. His plans for the day were quickly diminishing with each minute that passed that he couldn't find her. Since the weather had cleared substantially the previous day, he had every intention of giving Ithilwen a tour of the castle grounds while it was clear and sunny. 'That's if I can find her,' he thought bitterly, checking the lower-level library for a third time. 'It figures that as soon as my wife returns to me I lose her in the castle. The Valar must be playing a cruel joke on me.'

Legolas stood in the foyer and grunted in displeasure. This wasn't fair! She was his mate; she should be with him! A stray thought of Bernard keeping her attentions away from him made Legolas want to hang her cousin by his boots if they turned out to be true, but they were dashed with laughter from the kitchen. Feminine laughter. 'I know Erestor can walk in a pair of pumps but his voice is way too deep to make that sound...'

Following the noise led him to the smaller of the two kitchens, and one glance inside told him that it definitely wasn't Erestor at work. The room was filled with clouds of flour dust, younglings, and squeals. The former scholar would have shrieked if he walked in. Not that Legolas cared, for he had found Ithilwen, standing in the middle of the group of younglings at the round table. Her hair was pinned back clumsily with a clip, her long sleeves were pushed back, and yet the flour insisted on creeping into her clothes despite the precautions. The little elves around her were waving cookie cutters about and talking over each other as she rolled the dough out in front of her. She looked to be in her element around them, keeping in time with each child's train of thought and responding to them all equally. When the dough was flat enough, she stepped back to let them drop a cutter into the dough, pressing down to make the desired shape. Then they would move aside as she pulled up the excess dough and passed it to a volunteer to re-knead into a ball while she moved the raw dough shapes to the closest baking sheet. She was so into the conversation that she never noticed Legolas at the doorway watching. Someone else, however, did.

"Just go in there and stop looking like a shy elfling," Tauriel said, coming up behind him.

"Why was I not told of this?" He chose to ignore her comment. He was not shy around Ithilwen!

His sister raised a brow at him. "You had a phonecall, and they cornered her. What was I supposed to do?"

"You could have stopped them."

"And that works _so_ well when they corner you," she grinned. "Just go in there, little brother. Ithilwen will be delighted to see you. Unless of course, you had other plans?"

'Hell no,' he thought, watching the elleth covered in flour. 'Not today. I can show her the castle grounds another day.'

When he stepped further into the kitchen, Ernil was the first to notice his presence and called out. Ithilwen had stopped working on rolling the dough out and looked up. The smile that crossed her face made Legolas' chest tighten and his heart sing. He recognized that smile. That was the one she had reserved just for him, whether or not she remembered. Regardless of where they stood at the moment in terms of their life together, Legolas could honestly say he was content, just from that little smile she gave him.

Yes, the castle grounds tour could wait. Cookies were more important.

* * *

"The flight was delayed?"

Thranduil and Galion were in the larger kitchen with Erestor, who was preparing lunch. The scholar checked the sauce again, adding in a pinch more basil before stirring it and turning back to the two elves. "That is what Haldir said when he called an hour ago. Their flight was grounded last night due to frosty conditions, and they were only getting up in the air now. He and Morwen have been ushered onto the same flight as the young ones, so they will all arrive at once."

Galion took a drink of his coffee. "And what of the Lorien and Imladris company?" He knew Thranduil wouldn't ask, as much as he was curious.

"They are on the road once more. Glorfindel mentioned last evening that they would leave as soon as dawn broke today. They could arrive this afternoon at the earliest."

"That is good news," the dark haired ellon said casually. "I was beginning to think that you had developed a tapeworm with the amount of food you're preparing right now."

Erestor slowly set the spoon down he had been stirring with and turned to look at Galion challengingly. "You're one to talk."

"And what are you implying?"

"Nothing," Erestor said lightly. "Just that it seems that Ithilwen was not the only one to fill out in the last month is all."

"Are you trying to tell me that I've gotten fat?"

Thranduil chose not to comment, no matter how tempting it was. Elves had a higher metabolism than humans, making it difficult for them to gain excessive amounts of weight. Dropping it was frighteningly easy, but even pregnant ellith would lose their baby weight within months after the birth. Erestor was simply goading Galion into an argument, just as the other was want to do at times. It was always entertaining to watch them unleash on each other.

"I believe that would be left to your mate to decide, Galion. As I have no desire to see you naked, I cannot say."

"You're one to talk, with all the food you prepare! I'm surprised Lindir doesn't roll you out of the bed in the mornings! Or wait - it's more that he has to roll you off of him at night?"

That had been a low shot, and all three elves knew it. Taking shots at bedroom activities was always a final tactic, which meant Galion had run out of snappy comebacks. Erestor's eyes flashed as he looked at the smug elf that had served under Thranduil for years. "You had best control your puppet, Thranduil."

"Oh, he's not my puppet. A friend, yes, albeit a stupid friend for that remark-"

"You traitor!" The smug look had been replaced with one of betrayal.

"You know better so don't be looking at me!"

Galion knew Thranduil was right. He also knew he had put both feet in it with Erestor. Turning back, he tried to apologize. "Erestor, what I said was only in retaliation. I in no way meant to imply-"

The scholar waved his hand, dismissing the explanation. "It is fine. I know you're bitchy when you're hungry." He turned back to the counter to check the sauce again and add noodles to the boiling water in the pot next to it. "If you wish to eat sooner, you can make yourself useful by cutting bread."

The former assistant took this as an 'apology accepted', standing to do as he was told. Erestor was still pissed about the comment of course, and he would see to it that Galion suffered.

While they were busy at the counter, Lindir had entered the room, sensing the tenseness in the air between the three. "What's going on? I just checked in on Ithilwen and the younglings in the kitchen, and compared to there, it is the prelude to the third World War in here."

"Ithilwen is happy then?" Thranduil asked.

"I take it as so. Legolas has been with her and the children since he found them, according to Tauriel."

The elfking nodded, satisfied. "These two have been snapping at each other like wolves again."

Lindir looked at Erestor and Galion's backs, sighing. "It's the holidays for Eru's sake!" he complained. "Can we not have one holiday where no one threatens with kinslaying?"

"Your husband started it by calling me fat," Galion stated.

"You said I had a tapeworm first."

"You blatantly called me fat though."

"It was implied. And I recall you questioning Lindir and mine's intimacy not minutes ago."

"I apologized for that-"

"What did he say?" Lindir looked to Thranduil.

"That you had to roll Erestor off of you at night."

Lindir snorted. "That is nonsense." He walked up behind Erestor, slipping his arms about his mate's waist and placing a light kiss on his cheek. "I'm the one on top."

"You are an ass, love."

"And heels make yours look good too," came the cheeky reply.

Erestor was silent for a moment before he said, "My ass looks good regardless."

Feet away with bread knife in hand, Galion groaned. "I didn't want to hear any of that."

* * *

As the afternoon progressed into evening, there was no sign of the expected company. Elrohir did call ahead to inform them that they were planning to drive through the night and would reach the castle by the next day for certain. It was disappointing, but expected as there were some roads that had gotten a heavier amount of snow that had yet to be cleared. The rest of their kin flying from New York would not arrive until the following afternoon, which would prove to be chaotic for everyone.

It was much later that night, after the younglings were tucked into bed, and much of the remaining residents had retired that Ithilwen found herself talking with Legolas again. She had thought it would just be a habit they had when they talked online, but it appeared to be much more than that. She didn't mind of course; Legolas had countless stories to retell her, and she gave her full attention for each one. His latest story had been about their stay in Lorien with the Ringbearer, back when she was still furious with him over a misunderstanding. Ithilwen had seen and witnessed the memory, but there were gaps that needed to be filled, and hearing Legolas talk about them was like seeing them all over again. He had been reminiscing about the night they had their first kiss when he went silent.

They had been sitting on the loveseat in her bedroom talking as the fire in the fireplace cracked before them when she picked up on the change. "What's wrong?" She had been afraid that Legolas would get upset having to retell their adventures together, but this was the first time that night that he looked even remotely sad. "Should we call it a night?"

"No!" he blurted out, shaking his head. Ithilwen had jumped at his outburst. "I'm sorry, love. I was just thinking about that night and how similar it was to our current situation." Frankly, it was downright eerie how much they skirted around the other, just like they had then.

She nodded, understanding. Baking cookies with Legolas and the younglings had been one of the most enjoyable things she had done that year. There were a few times they had brushed against the other in passing, and while it went unnoticed by everyone else, both elves felt a spark between them. It made Ithilwen apprehensive and almost too afraid to get close to Legolas, until logic stepped in and reminded her that this was her husband. There shouldn't have been anything to be afraid of, and she felt a tad bit foolish the more she thought of it.

"If it makes any difference, I'll try not to get killed so we don't have to go through this whole process again," Ithilwen offered, attempting to make a joke.

Legolas snorted, and she smiled. "I won't let that happen," he swore to her. "Not that I could have stopped you, of course."

"I went and got myself killed-"

"-And you were protecting the life of an elfling," he insisted. "There is nothing in my heart that says that you would not do the same thing again if the situation arose."

Ithilwen sighed. He was right. She hadn't seen that particular memory, but from everything she has been told, she couldn't see herself _not_ doing something like that. "Something's still on your mind."

"No there isn't."

"That came out awfully quick for there _not_ to be, Legolas."

"You want to know?" he asked.

"Of course."

"You truly wish to know?"

"That's what I said."

"Without a doubt in your heart, you truly desire to know-"

"Legolas!" Ithilwen huffed. "Just say it already!"

The elf sitting across from her grinned cheekily. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to yell out my name- I'm kidding, Ithilwen! I'm kidding!" He laughed as she rolled her eyes, ready to retort that he was being a pervert again. "Actually, there's been something on my mind for a time now, but I hadn't been able to find the best way to say anything."

Ithilwen tucked her bare feet underneath her. "Is it bad news?"

"No."

"Then what's the fear in saying it? Usually bad news is what's hard to break to someone."

Legolas shifted to one hip, resting his side against the back of the seat as he faced her. "It's more that I am concerned with how you will react when I tell you."

"Me?" she asked. "It can't be anything weirder than finding out I'm a reincarnated elf from thousands of years ago."

He laughed, shaking his head again. "No, it's nothing like that, I assure you."

"Well, then tell me. No one's up to interrupt you, so it's the perfect opportunity."

Legolas paused, thinking on those words. 'If only those words spoke of another opportunity,' he thought. Of course he couldn't voice _those_ thoughts, as they were more...intense than what he'd worried over. Ithilwen sat there watching him as he warred with his mental conversation, waiting patiently for him to speak. "I've been thinking, Ithilwen...about how things are between us. You know that I have no desire to force you into anything you're not comfortable with, so I will understand if you choose to say no. Ithilwen...would you allow me to take you out to dinner one night?"

'Woah.' Ithilwen hadn't been expecting that question, and he had even asked about asking her out on a date days ago! For some reason, she had simply read it as a courtesy to her without any promise of follow through. And yet, here Legolas was asking her out to dinner - a date!

"I..." The words wouldn't come out, not that she knew what to say for all of the thoughts going around in her mind in that moment. She was surprised he had asked, as well as flattered that he had taken her response into consideration in the event she turned him down. There was also the odd feeling of being thrilled that he had asked, almost as if she were secretly waiting for the opportunity. Legolas was watching her intently, and from his controlled expression she knew that he could see the emotions cross her face as plain as day. Before she knew it, words were coming out of her mouth, and it seemed they surprised her as well. "I would love to, Legolas." 'Woah.'

"Really?" Legolas tried not to look too excited, fearing that she was only being polite. "Like I said, Ithilwen, if you don't feel comfortable with going on a date, we don't have to-"

"I said I would love to go on a date with you, Legolas." Ithilwen repeated, her smile growing as she said the words. It seemed her heart had made the decision for her mind, which had been waffling all over the place. The sense of calmness that washed over her in that moment was peculiar. Maybe all of her nerves were in her head after all?

Legolas let out a breath of air and smiled at her. "You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that, love. Would it be too soon to set the date for the night after the next?"

"That sounds fine to me," she told him. "Do I need something special to wear?"

"Somehow I have the feeling that will be taken care of soon enough." Legolas stood from the loveseat and moved to Ithilwen's side, crouching down to eye level. "I should leave you to rest, seeing as how late it is. Goodnight, melleth," he whispered, kissing her gently on the cheek and silently taking pleasure in the light pink that dusted her face.

"Goodnight Legolas," she whispered back, watching him retreat through the "secret" door to his rooms. When Ithilwen was certain that he had gone, she rose to dress for bed. Things had certainly taken a strange turn since she arrived in Scotland, but she wasn't going to complain.

* * *

The following morning, the castle had mysteriously picked up on the developments between the two elves. Legolas had been hoping he could have kept this between them, grumbling about how the walls had ears and a loose tongue. In actuality, it all traced back to Miraear, who had been on her way to Ithilwen's quarters to deliver some extra blankets in the event she was still experiencing the cold as a human would. She had overheard Legolas ask Ithilwen out to dinner, and choosing not to intrude, left the blankets with a note outside the door. Without thinking, she had mentioned it in passing to Tauriel as they were getting the younglings settled for breakfast. Tauriel in turn had cornered Ithilwen in the dining room as soon as she appeared, talking in a rush about having heard the news and wanting to take her shopping for something to wear for the date. Legolas had found all of this out when Melui asked "If you and Aunt Ithilwen are going on a date, does this mean that she'll stay in Scotland now, Uncle Legolas?"

He hadn't taken it well, chucking a croissant across the table at his sister and saying, "This is for your big mouth, Tauriel." She had retaliated with the same croissant, tossing it like a frisbee at his head, and would have followed up with a sausage link if Miraear hadn't reprimanded the both of them for playing with their food.

After breakfast, Tauriel had arranged for an outing with her sister-in-law at one of the nearby shopping malls with high-end clothing. She hadn't known about Ithilwen's previous experience with the upper-class businesses until the elleth had mentioned it, but Tauriel assured her that these employees were nothing but sincere in their sales pitches.

True to her word, an hour into the shopping trip and Ithilwen had decided that she liked these associates much better than those in San Francisco. There was no judging her by her worn jeans and sweatshirt, and they were very down-to-earth with how they treated everyone. It was comforting, considering some of the prices were astronomical.

"You're on the payroll now," Tauriel reminded her, as Ithilwen returned another dress to its rack. "Money isn't something you have to worry about anymore."

"When I actually contribute to the company I'll feel better about spending the money," Ithilwen replied. "It feels weird to me."

The redhead nodded, browsing a neighboring rack. "I get that, but you do know that if you don't buy something yourself that someone else in the house is going to, and nine times out of ten it'll be Legolas that does it."

Ithilwen grimaced. That thought was not comforting at all, and Tauriel knew it. "Is there something I can do to help the company while I'm still in school, since Legolas won't let me otherwise?"

"Well...there's _one_ thing I can think of, but you're not going to want to hear it."

"If this is about sex-"

"See, I told you that you didn't want to hear it!" Tauriel laughed. "I'm only joking, Ithilwen! I know you're not ready to get on that ride again. Legolas knows it too. Trust me, the little things like baking cookies and this date are plenty enough for my brother." She held up a long, dark gown. "How about this one? We can add it to the pile to try on."

Ithilwen nodded and they took the mass of dresses to the dressing rooms. Tauriel stood outside Ithilwen's stall and waited as the elleth changed clothes. "You know, since you're getting a new dress and shoes, why not go the full route and add some fancy underwear to the list?"

"What did I say about sex, Tauriel?"

"This has nothing to do with that, I swear! I'm just saying that a new lacy number to go with the dress will make everything feel more special. You don't want to spend this kind of money on a dress and wear granny panties with it, do you?"

"I don't even own those."

The door swung open and Tauriel turned to look at Ithilwen. She couldn't help but grin at the sight. "You look great! So what do you think?"

"I like it, and it's very nice..."

"What about underwear?"

Ithilwen was silent, pressing her lips together in a thin line. Finally she said, "If I agree to it, will you stop asking?"

"I promise."

"Alright," she sighed, turning back into the stall. "I'll get a new set."

But Tauriel wasn't finished. "Now while I promise to stop asking, if Legolas finds out, I can't guarantee that he'll stop asking to see them... Ithilwen? What's that noise? Ithilwen, why are you banging your head? Did I go too far?"

* * *

"We're back!" Tauriel announced rather loudly in the entryway when she and Ithilwen returned to the castle. The blond elleth had been shutting the door when she heard a voice she didn't recognize at first.

"About time, melleth! I've been stuck in the car since yesterday morning with a bunch of grouchy elves and all I could think about was seeing you when I got home. But lo and behold, what do I find out when I get back? You went off to town!"

Ithilwen turned to see Tauriel swept up in the arms of a dark-haired ellon. She felt the tiniest pang of jealously watching their open interaction with each other, and she had to remind herself that one day she could have that with Legolas if she could quit being a chicken-shit elleth afraid of her own husband. Hanging back from the scene she tried to remember where she heard that voice from. It had sounded slightly off the last time she had heard it, but when it dawned on her, Ithilwen couldn't hold back her exclamation. "Elrohir!"

Said ellon looked over Tauriel's shoulder and Ithilwen could see the wide grin. "There is my baby cousin," he said in delight, turning loose of his mate to approach her. "It has been a long time since we last saw each other."

"But not quite as long since I shot your typewriter," Ithilwen grinned back, accepting the hug he offered.

"You just wait. I want a rematch, and I'm sure Glorfindel does too." Elrohir stepped back and looked over Ithilwen. "How've you been doing? Is Legolas treating you alright? I know he's your mate but I won't hesitate to kick his ass if he's done something to you."

She laughed. "Legolas has been nothing but sweet, Elrohir, I assure you. And I have been doing fine-"

"-Actually, my brother asked her out to dinner tomorrow night, so she's doing more than 'fine'."

Ithilwen could only look on in shock. "Legolas is right. You _do_ have a big mouth, Tauriel."

Tauriel only shrugged, taking the shopping bags at the elleth's feet. "Since Elrohir is here now, there's some people you need to see. I'll place your bags in your rooms in the meantime; less of a chance that Legolas will spoil the surprise if he doesn't find the bags." On that note, she disappeared upstairs.

Elrohir couldn't help but agree with his wife. As he led Ithilwen into the living room, he saw fit to mention that Legolas could be a big kid at times. She wasn't sure how to interpret that, although he had been pretty insistent with "taste testing" the cookies they made yesterday. Ithilwen chose to nod instead of respond, which was fine as she had just become the center of attention when they entered the room.

There had been a conversation going on between Thranduil, Miraear, Legolas, and a number of elves that she didn't recognize. 'There's too many blond people in this room,' she thought miserably. 'How in the hell am I going to remember everyone's names?!' "Uh...hi?"

"Ithilwen," Elrohir began, pointing to the closest blond elleth. "This is Elladan, Bernard, and my naneth, Celebrian. The ellon next to her is our adar, Elrond-"

On Elrond's other side the blond ellon spoke up quickly. "She ought to remember my handsome face!"

"You're the filing cabinet I took out with the grenade," she grinned at his expression. "It's good to see you in person, Glorfindel."

Elrohir tried to take the introductions back, looking miffed. "And seeing as how you know your husband and in-laws already, the two blond elves sitting with them are our grandparents. That is our grandfather Celeborn, and our grandmother Galadriel."

Her grandmother met her gaze, and Ithilwen swore she could feel the older woman prying into her mind. It wasn't an intrusive feeling, but it was peculiar. Ithilwen tried to guard her thoughts out of paranoia, but the first mantra to come up was "Please don't ask me if I've had sex". It was Tauriel's fault really; she had brought up the topic at the dressing rooms. Could her grandmother really blame her if it was one of the last thorough conversations she'd had?

Galadriel's small smile had spread the longer the silence between them lingered, until finally she laughed. When she broke eye contact with Ithilwen, she turned to Celeborn and said, "She knows some things, but not everything."

Ithilwen looked passed Galadriel to see Celeborn looking at her with a resigned expression. "I assume Thranduil told you already."

"To be fair I had to bully it out of him back in California." She looked over at the ellon, who chose not to look her way purposely. "It wasn't the first time I had to pump him for information."

"Why didn't you just tell her, Adar?" Legolas asked.

"I was hoping that your mate would have remembered these things on her own! At the very least that period of time-"

"Thranduil, if you will recall I was misinformed from the getgo with my memories coming back on their own!" With the questioning looks that followed from the recent arrivals, she hastily explained that while she had some memories of her life, not everything had returned yet, and what did was still missing pieces.

Legolas either hadn't realized this or it had never struck him as being extremely important until that moment. "If you had told Ithilwen all of this ahead of time it might have cleared up a lot of things!"

Tauriel coughed into her fist and muttered, "Like you did with the company salary? Loan repayments?" The look she got in return should have terrified her, but she had been in too many arguments with her brother to be intimidated.

Ithilwen could only look on helplessly as Legolas fired a retort back at his sister while her grandfather and father-in-law exchanged words from across the coffee table that divided them. She felt a touch on her shoulder, and looking up she saw it was Elrond. He had offered her a hug, which she returned willingly. "I'm sorry about this," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to start an argument."

When he released her, Elrond stepped back to look down at Ithilwen. "You have nothing to apologize for, child. It is a habit of our kin to incite petty arguments. If one hasn't occurred on a regular schedule we begin to fear someone has gone missing."

"And it's the holidays," Glorfindel grinned. "It isn't the holiday season unless someone is yelling."

* * *

During the time that Tauriel and Ithilwen had gone shopping and returned to the castle, Payne had been taking one of the larger cars to the airport. Legolas had sent him a text that told him Glorfindel's group had made it back safely an hour before the plane was set to arrive. That had been a relief to read, seeing as how there had been a number of issues with his designated pickup even before they got on their flight, not to mention his own personal hell.

That morning he had woken up late because the batteries in his alarm clock had decided that they couldn't handle the cold winter any longer and quit. His hot water nearly scalded him in his rush to wash and dress, so he decided to skip shaving that day for fear of what his razor would try to do to him. Because he slept in, there was no time to fix something for breakfast, which meant if he got to the airport early enough he might be able to find a vending machine. Once he got on the road, the Fates had decided to mess with him by giving him a red stoplight at every intersection through town. The route through the countryside would have been quicker, but Payne knew that there were a few roads that would and did produce horrible patches of black ice at even the smallest hint of a freeze. When he did reach the airport and secure a parking place, it felt like it was leagues away from the building, and while his passengers would not have felt the bite of the cold wind, he did. His ancestors were plain mortals in comparison to the elves he worked for, but he felt like the oddity walking into the airport entrance bundled up to his eyelids.

Surprisingly, Payne made it with plenty of time to spare, a good hour before the plane were to arrive. His phone beeped in his pocket as he walked the vicinity looking for a snack machine. Reaching into his pocket he got the device out, seeing the text from Legolas: "Glorfindel and the twins made it back with the rest of our kin this morning. Take care getting back to the castle; he said it's icy out there". That had been the one bit of good news he had received that morning, because standing in front of the vending machine it dawned on Payne that he didn't have any loose change. That bit of panic as he searched his pockets for even a bill turned into frustration, and if there weren't so many small children in the area, he'd have said exactly what was on his mind.

"Okay," he breathed, spotting the ATM nearby. "I'll use that...okay never _mind_." The ATM had a wrinkled note taped to it that stated it was out of order.

An elderly couple hadn't been far away, watching Payne rake his fingers through his hair and try not to scream. They could see that he was anxious and frustrated beyond repair, but they were brave enough to approach the young man and offer him a suggestion. There was a small fast food chain set in the terminal, not far from where they were that took cards if he didn't have cash on hand. Thanking them profusely, he wished them a happy holiday season and tried not to run to the smell of grease.

With a small bag of breakfast items he could eat as he walked, Payne was finally content. The line to order had been long, but it was worth it according to his stomach. He stood among the others that waited with signs to help their friends and loved ones locate them as they exited the plane. The sign he always used was a running joke that had occurred once during an rapid-fire insulting game of Trouble in Terrorist Town with the elves. It had made some of the neighboring people chuckle to themselves as he set it up at his feet; those that frequented the airport like he did would ask if it was "the same pickup as last time", since he used the same sign with all the elves that flew commercial.

"Nah," he'd laugh, "but there's a bunch arriving today." Payne caught sight of long, light blond hair and grinned as he saw them approach. "You're late."

"Did my son-in-law tell you to say that?" Haldir asked as the mortal wiped the fast food grease from his hands with his napkin.

"Have you not eaten already?" Morwen was looking at him with concern. In the time that she had come to acquaint herself with the remainder of the mortal lines that originated from the Minas Tirith/Ithilien area, she found herself worrying over each generation like children.

Bernard didn't look pleased as he stared at the sign. "Fairy cakes," he read. "Really Payne? How long is this going to keep going on? I haven't suffered enough?"

As they moved to collect the rest of their bags, Payne responded. "I saw an opportunity and I took it, sir. No ma'am, my alarm clock didn't wake me up in time to fix breakfast before I left. And Bernard, I'm sorry dude, but that _was_ funny!"

"And just how have you suffered, melleth?" Melda asked.

"Those textbooks are misinformed and biased, for starters-"

"You chose to go to college again, B!" Fiona pointed out.

"Yes well our cousin was there. That was the whole reason for enrolling!"

"You do know you can quit if you want to," Silima suggested. "You already hold two bachelor degrees and a masters'."

Suitcase in hand, Bernard frowned. "I could, but that would imply that I was quitting."

"Was that not what I just said?"

"I don't quit," he said stubbornly. "I see things through to the end."

"I'll say you do," Melda grinned impishly. "I couldn't ask for a better husband."

"And I couldn't ask for less information if I wanted it," Haldir cut in, annoyed and disturbed. "This family is too open with each other."

As the exited the terminal and later the parking lot, Payne took his time getting back to the castle. There was no reason to rush, and the commentary in the vehicle was too entertaining to miss. Everyone was now back in one country, as some felt it should be.

He wondered how Ithilwen was faring. She seemed nice enough, albeit a bit nervous when he first met her. It was to be expected, of course; she had been informed of a lot of things, and it always seemed like there was one more thing to learn. Legolas had invited him to spend the holidays with them at the castle many times in the past, and this year was no different. For her sake, he'd agreed to it, knowing that with her mortal upbringing she could use a perspective she was more familiar with during some of the crazier parts of the weeks ahead. She'd enjoy herself this Christmas, he was certain of it. The elves were good people, if not eccentric, and he never once regretted taking the job that he had now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about this one, guys! If you follow me on FF.Net you'll have already read it, but since that site is taboo now in some circles I try to upload it in both places around the same time. That...didn't happen this time, but I do have good news! The outline for this story is planned through to the end, which is something I couldn't say four months ago!


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning at the breakfast table was louder than Ithilwen expected, even with the younglings talking over each other. Thranduil and Miraear had joined them at the table, and the former elf king was currently engaged in a debate with her grandfather. The previous evening had cemented that this was normal for them, but she still found it odd that they could make a game out of arguing with the other. Glad that she hadn't been noticed yet, Ithilwen turned and crept into the larger kitchen for a cup of coffee. It was less crazy in there, and the only person she found was Erestor.

He looked to her and nodded. "You look lovely this morning, Little Star."

Instead of another baggy sweatshirt for the day, she had pulled on a lighter sweater that she had picked up before she left San Francisco. With her jeans and boots, she paired it with a thinner, asymmetrical cardigan that met her knees at its longest points. There was no rhyme or reason for her choices. They were comfortable, but they were also cute. They also made her feel all the more a part of the family. The other elves, she learned, preferred to dress stylish over frumpy. Not being able to feel the extremities was a bonus in the cold Scottish winters. Ithilwen still felt the cold, and knew better than to leave the castle without a heavy coat on hand, but she didn't notice the cold as much that morning as she did the night she arrived.

'Maybe I'm changing again?' she thought, sidestepping the twin children that sped past her. 'That would be nice. I feel awkward enough not knowing everyone in my own family without that hanging over me too.'

"Can I tell you something?" She said quietly to the ellon.

"Of course," he replied. He was standing by the coffee pot when she approached, and he passed her a mug.

"This is going to sound stupid, but... No, I know it's stupid but here me out- When I dress like I did the day before...I don't feel like I belong here." She poured her coffee, almost expecting Erestor to reprimand her for that ridiculous statement, but he stood there silently, waiting for her to finish. "You don't have to tell me it's dumb. Believe me, I know. But when I look around at all of you guys, I feel out of place. It's not just the clothes, it's the whole elven bloodline thing. Maybe it's just because I haven't fully crossed back over yet, or maybe it's because I was raised as a mortal, but I feel out of my element. I barely remember anyone. Those kids talk to me as if I've been here since their birth. Everyone else talks to me about things I can't even remember! I'm getting frustrated my memories aren't already back. I know Legolas is frustrated. He wants things I can't give him yet, and that makes me feel worse!"

A firm plant of a hand on her shoulder made her stop. Looking to her right, Erestor held her shoulder firmly, looking at her with concern. "You have every right to feel overwhelmed, Little Star," he said. "We have placed a burden upon you that you are ill equipped for, and we often forget that. Those younglings running circles around the table in there feel that they know you because we've talked about you so much, and they don't fully understand what happened. Legolas would never pressure you, no matter how frustrated he gets, and if I ever catch wind that he has I will deal with him myself." He gently patted her shoulder until he felt the tenseness in her muscles disappear. "You develop in your own time, just as anyone else would. Things cannot be rushed, no matter how much we wish them to be so. That being said, take things one day at a time."

"Thank you, Erestor." she said, once his words registered. "For a second I thought you were going to lecture me."

A small shrug came from him as he removed his hand. "Only if you were to do something extremely foolish."

"Like chase a wild horse that isn't tamed?"

"Exactly." Erestor paused. "Though if I recall, you have a date with the prince tonight, do you not?"

Ithilwen paled. "You heard about that?"

"Everyone in the castle knows. That is why gift shopping for anyone here is a nightmare." He went back to preparing another fresh pot of coffee as he continued, "My point is, one step at a time, Ithilwen. This date is a small step that the both of you need."

* * *

After breakfast, the arguments between Thranduil and Celeborn had developed, bringing in more of the family and forcing them to choose sides. It wasn't unheard of for the two lords to make their kin choose, and it always ended badly for everyone involved. When the use of guns comes into play, however, the only side one can and should choose is their own.

"You son of a bitch! You did that on purpose!" Thranduil roared.

"Is it my fault that you chose a poor hiding spot?" Celeborn asked calmly, but he was definitely smirking.

Melui looked to Baineth. "Grandpa swore again. That's one of those words we can't say, isn't it Uncle Legolas?"

"Precisely, sweetheart. Your grandpa should know better."

"Blame your in-law for killing me!"

Galion happened to be standing behind the sulking elf-king. "It was a poor choice of hiding spots, Thranduil. You can't have hoped to hide out there for the duration of the game."

A sea of computer cords were twisted and interwoven around the family sitting room as many laptops were set up. Thranduil had suggested that they play Prop Hunt to settle their petty argument, but right at that moment he was wishing he hadn's suggested the idea at all. Celeborn had picked up on the controls surprisingly quickly, given that there was extremely limited internet access out on the island they had been staying on.

"I don't like this game." Thranduil was pouting as he waited for the round to finish.

"You're just sore," Miraear grinned.

"Where are you?" Elrohir griped, not paying attention to his father-in-law.

"I'm dead, nitwit."

"He wasn't talking about you, Thranduil, and while I don't appreciate you calling my son a nitwit, I feel there is cause in this case."

"Hey! Ada! I thought you were on my side!"

Elrond looked up from the laptop in front of him to stare at Elrohir. "You are the one asking 'Where are you?' in a game of hide and seek. Do you not see how inefficient that is?"

"He's just hoping Glorfindel will slip up again," Legolas said.

Ithilwen looked up in surprise. "Wait, what? When did this happen?"

"Years ago," Glorfindel said quickly. "Fuuuck- Sorry. Sorry. Do as I say, not what I say," he told the younglings sitting around him. These kinds of games had become so frequently played in the castle that curses were bound to come up. The adults had tried their best not to swear in front of the children, but fortunately they were wise enough to know not to repeat these particular words. It was easy to tell when the adults were goofing around and the words slipped; that was when it was especially funny.

"She's giggling."

"Who's giggling?"

"Ithilwen."

"No I'm not- Oh holy shit." She snorted.

"You are so giggling!" Tauriel declared. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Ithilwen had begun to laugh.

"That's what the dude who killed Jeffrey Dahmer said."

Ernil looked up at Glorfindel. "Who's that?"

"He was a very bad guy who killed many people and ate some. Another bad man killed him in prison."

"Oh." The young ellon fell silent for a minute. "Why would someone kill many and only eat some? Did the others not taste good?"

Glorfindel looked up helplessly to Elrohir as his tin can was shot down, having been distracted by Ernil's question. Elrohir only glanced up and said, "You brought that on yourself. If you didn't want him to ask questions, you shouldn't have said what you did."

"Well how am I supposed to answer a question like that?! I've never eaten people-"

"Silima is going to be very disappointed to hear that," Tauriel whispered to Ithilwen, making her laugh even harder.

"-You know what I mean, Tauriel! And for Eru's sake, Ithilwen! What the hell?!"

"I'm...stuck!" Ithilwen had gotten so tickled that she couldn't catch her breath. "I'm stuck...in the game. I can't go anywhere!"

"Seriously?" Elladan asked.

"I've been trying since Glorfindel mentioned cannibalism. I think the environment glitched."

"That's not something you want to hear, isn't it Legolas?" Elladan teased.

Legolas looked up from Ithilwen's laptop to glare at his friend. "I will declare that no one in the castle can do the deed until I have," he warned.

Gwend was sitting in between Celebrian and Galadriel with one of her Monster High dolls, telling them about the series. She looked up and said, "You can just say 'sex' Uncle Legolas. We already know what it means."

Celeborn looked alarmed at the little elfling as Galadriel and Celebrian laughed out loud. He looked back at Thranduil, who looked at him questioningly. "What exactly have you taught them, Oropherion?"

"What makes you believe it was me?"

"You are always up to something!"

"Those are mighty strong words coming from a book that had just been blown up."

"You just wait until the next round. I hope I'm dropped in the game as a hunter."

* * *

"We need a Christmas tree."

"So go get one," Legolas said, not looking up from the laptop. They had moved on from Prop Hunt to Trouble in Terrorist Town when it was apparent Celeborn and Thranduil were more interested in trying to mess the other one up. With more playing than in their last session, there were more traitors to find, and as much as he hated to think it, his mate was a possible traitor. She was being too quiet for her own good, and no amount of distractions from Tauriel would keep him from finding out.

"It's a family outing thing," she complained. "We all have to go out to do it. So when can we go get a tree?"

"I would assume that my sister would like to be here to help pick out a tree," Celebrian said offhandedly. "This is, after all, Ithilwen's first Christmas back with us."

Tauriel fired a shot at Elrond's character with a muttered apology, adding another one when she took the damage instead. 'Not a traitor, dammit.' She looked up across the space at Ithilwen. "Ithilwen, you should know that whenever we go out and pick a Christmas tree, it's really just Legolas dragging us out in the snow so he can find a tree."

"Nah, I imagine he'll let Ithilwen pick out the tree this year," Elrohir teased his brother-in-law. "He's gonna give Ithilwen anything she wants."

"No he's not!" Ithilwen was too flustered by the words to see how red Legolas' ears had gone. She was not someone that had to be given special treatment.

"Oh yes he will," a new voice said from the doorway. Gameplay paused as everyone looked up to see a large group standing there with suitcases. "When you were first bound, Legolas wouldn't leave your side for all of the gold in the world. It drove Thranduil mad when it was his turn to do patrols."

"It was not that bad, Haldir..."

Morwen appeared next to Haldir's shoulder, smiling at Ithilwen. "You might not remember this yet, but before you two even became engaged and he stayed in Lorien, Legolas would follow you all over the place! Haldir didn't find it funny but I thought it was incredibly sweet."

Bernard, Melda, Silima, Fiona, and Payne were moving around them into the room as the younglings sprung up from their spots to greet their aunt and uncle. Fiona moved to stand behind Elladan's seat, leaning forward to give him a light kiss on the lips, whispering something to him. Ithilwen glimpsed this and felt a tiny bit of jealousy, reminding herself that she could have that too when she was ready. Melda came around to stand behind Ithilwen's left shoulder, resting her arms on the back of the couch. "So what's this about buying a tree?" she asked.

"Tauriel wants to go get a tree," Legolas replied.

"Just one?"

"What do you mean, _just_ one?" Ithilwen looked back at the elleth in bewilderment.

Melda laughed. "You haven't been here at the castle long, Ithilwen! We go crazy decorating for Christmas; I'm surprised no one's told you yet. We usually get a few trees from the local farms each year: the biggest for the living room, and a number of small ones for the kid's rec room, the libraries, you name it. Legolas would rather put the money back into the hands of the local people than do what a lot of big names do and have something specially ordered."

"I think it helps knowing that this is what remains of Ithilien," Bernard said. "So you guys are playing Trouble in Terrorist Town? What happened?"

"These two," Elrond motioned to the elven lords, "were targeting each other far too often. We felt it easier for the rest of us to play if they were both armed to take each other out."

Ithilwen passed her laptop to Melda. "You want to play a round in my place?"

Melda took the hint, nodding and swapping places with the elleth. She knew that Ithilwen didn't get a lot of time to reconnect with her parents back in San Francisco, so saw an opportunity and wanted to take it. 'Best do it before Legolas goes on the hunt,' she thought, not knowing that he had done that very thing a day prior.

* * *

"Where is she at?" Esther complained. "Thia said she'd meet us here!"

Jack and her were standing outside their car in the driveway of the cabin they'd be staying at for the holidays. It had been agreed upon to take two cars so that everyone could ride comfortably and not feel like sardines with four sets of suitcases piled into one car. While it was a sensible idea, Esther was beginning to wonder if she had been given the wrong directions.

"Look, we read the directions right." Jack stuck his hands in his pockets. The cold didn't bother him too much, but Esther was having trouble not stuttering as she talked. "Why don't you get back in the car and turn the heater on, Es?"

"I'm fine," she insisted. "If our battery dies and we're not at the right cabin, then what are we gonna do?"

"Turn to cannibalism?"

"We'd be frozen TV dinners."

Jack grimaced. "Yeah, those brownies never turn out good when you nuke them in the microwave." He had been about to suggest picking the lock on the cabin when he saw headlights shine through the trees further down the driveway. "I think that's them," he said instead. "How come Thia didn't tell us who she's bringing?"

Esther shrugged, which was a challenge for her, being wrapped up to her eyes in a heavy coat, hat, and thick scarf. She trudged through the few inches of snow that had fallen and moved to stand by Jack as the new car pulled up beside them. Thia was the first to get out, bundled up much like Esther was.

"You two got here early!" she exclaimed. "You weren't waiting long, were you?"

"Maybe ten minutes," Jack guessed. He really didn't know; he was too lazy to uncover his watch. For all they knew, it could have been an two hours or two minutes. Winter has a way of making everything slow to a crawl, or at least feel like it.

"Sorry bout that," a male voice with an accent said from the other side of the car. Shaggy dark hair was tucked into a ski cap, but a few wisps of silver peeked out among the dark. His face was hidden by sunglasses, but the distinguished nose and facial hair was the only clue Jack and Esther needed to know who Thia had brought with her. "I had to close up the shop, and there were a few stragglers making last minute arrangements."

"Y-You're Aster!" Jack gaped. "You're the guy that runs that flower shop next to the cafe!"

"And you're Jack, if I recall. Did your sister like the bundle I shipped out for her birthday?"

"She loved them, but that's besides the point. How come you're here? You're the one Thia brought?"

Thia's tanned cheeks warmed considerably in the cold weather. "Actually, he's the one who brought _us_ to the cabin. It's Aster's, and he wanted to spend the holidays with the friends of his girlfriend..."

Jack missed the hint, but Esther didn't. Thia looked rather shy and timid standing there in the snow by Aster as Jack continued to gape like a fish. This was a big deal to her, especially since she had kept who she was seeing a secret for weeks now. Esther took a swat at Jack's arm with her gloved hand and smiled at the two. "It's wonderful to finally meet Thia's boyfriend," she told him honestly.

"That's great Thia. It really is, but...please don't get mad but exactly how old are you?" Jack asked Aster.

"I'm not as old as you're thinking," Aster told him. "Gray hair is just one of those things that come early in my family. I've been thinking about dying it, but Thia likes it the way it is. Says it's in fashion right now to have gray hair, but this is coming from a gal whose hair is three different colors!"

"Aster's only six years older than me," Thia told Jack. "He's twenty-seven. Do you want his astrological sign too?" She tried not to get annoyed with her friend, but she had anticipated the questions. Yes, Aster was older than her by a number of years. Yes, she had had this conversation already with her family over the phone.

"How long have you two been dating?" Esther asked, wiggling about for warmth. It had been taken as a hint that she was near-frozen and wanted to take this conversation inside.

Thia replied as they began to pull suitcases from the cars. "Three months."

"I know that this is a difficult thing to come to terms with," Aster said as he closed the trunk of the car. "But as I told Thia's parents, I treat Thia right. I don't make assumptions and I don't ask her for anything she is not willing to give. My parents raised me to not look at age as a factor in building a relationship; they were nearly ten years apart in age, in fact. They told me that age was only a secondary quality in a person, so find someone who shares your spirit for life and things will work themselves out."

Esther smiled, looking pointedly at Jack as if to say, 'Take that!' "That's very sweet, Aster."

The older man laughed, adding, "That is to say, of course, that there's limitations. You don't want to be cradle-robbin' cause no one's going to share that perspective then!"

With bags and suitcases in hand, the four set up the driveway for the cabin. Aster, Thia, and Esther were laughing and having a good time already. Jack, on the other hand, was still unsure about the whole situation. Thia was an adult, and as an adult she was capable of making her own decisions about who she dated. He was simply looking out for her as a friend would. 'She seems happy enough,' he told himself as he followed. 'Maybe it's just the gray hair that's messing with my head. Aster doesn't seem _that_ old...'

* * *

To have a means to talk and be heard, Haldir, Morwen, and Ithilwen moved into the large kitchen where Erestor was preparing a snack for the younglings. "Don't you two want to settle in first? I didn't realize that you hadn't unpacked with everything going on in the living room."

"We have all the time for that," Haldir said, moving to sit on one of the barstools by the island. "We would rather talk with you, now that you are here for your winter break."

"Yes, how are you?" Morwen asked, looking her daughter over. As much as Galion had been feeding her after she quit working, Ithilwen somehow felt that her naneth would still say she was too thin.

"I'm..." Ithilwen paused. "I'm doing surprisingly well, actually. That is, now, anyway. I'm sure you've already heard about what happened with me after you left-"

"Yes and no," Morwen cut in. "We'd like to hear it from you."

"Okay. Well...you remember when you were here, how I wasn't working a full forty hours? Rick - my boss - had implemented some new policies that cut the hours of anyone who didn't comply immediately. My hair had those bright colored streaks in it, and for a while my ears were pierced, at least until the shape changed. All of that had to go. Where our last manager had allowed us to express our individuality within reason, Rick took that away and then some. I was told I had to drop weight and lose the extra hair colors before I could resume my normal schedule. In doing this he moved around my hours, making me miss group projects for classes, sleep, and study time for exams. My classmates were getting frustrated because I wasn't delivering when I said I would, and the teachers weren't happy when I missed back-to-back class meetings as well."

Haldir's expression was neutral, but Ithilwen could tell he wasn't happy about it either. Morwen looked more concerned. "Since you are here I assume that things were taken care of." That was where her information became foggy at best. Everyone had been moving about so much in those weeks that it was hard to talk to anyone for longer than a few minutes.

"Oh it did, cause I quit." Ithilwen laughed, and this time it didn't sound forced. There was relief in her voice as she continued the story. "I dropped weight - a lot of weight - until I plateaued to where starving wasn't doing anything but making my ribs show more. So I went into work and confronted Rick, showing him. Told him I'd bind my corset even tighter if I could get back to my regular schedule so that I could stay in school. I was damn determined to work if I had to crack a few ribs, but it didn't last much longer after that. I covered for one of the other waitresses who had had a doctor's appointment and would be in late. Rick met her as she came in and told her that she was fired, not caring that she had told him why she was late, right there in front of the customers."

"What happened?" Erestor asked, lifting the whistling kettle from the stove.

"She had a miscarriage. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but she was already upset when she came in, and being fired on top of that news didn't help. Gene - our head cook - had jumped into the argument, and if I hadn't held him back, we'd have probably had to bail him out of jail for attacking Rick. If you couldn't tell when you were in the restaurant, no one liked Rick."

"And this is when you quit?" Haldir asked. "I hope this was when you quit. You are too smart to stay under conditions such as those."

The younger elleth shrugged. "I depended on that job for years, so I was delusional I guess. But yeah, Ada, that's when me and two-thirds of the staff walked out. Some customers went with us, while some were crazy enough to sit there waiting for their food."

"Two-thirds?" Erestor's eyebrows rose. "I regret that I never made the trek over the great pond to see this restaurant for myself, for I do not foresee this manager keeping his job for long after this event."

"You know I have no idea if Rick's still there?" This was something that hadn't occurred to Ithilwen. She had been so focused on getting back into her school routine, Legolas, and making the trip to Scotland that she hadn't given her prior job a second thought. She felt slightly guilty that she hadn't kept correspondence with some of her former coworkers, but the holidays kept everyone busy. "It wouldn't surprise me if he was. Victor may not even be aware his restaurant has suffered an employee drop."

Morwen moved over to wrap her daughter in a hug. "I am very happy that you quit that job, and a parent should not be happy that their child quit something! So tell us, how did your semester end?"

"Better than I expected. Without work to worry about, I was able to catch up on my studies and group project assignments within a week. From then on it was studying for exams and polishing off any papers I had to write-"

"And Galion feeding you," Erestor added.

"That too," Ithilwen looked down, embarrassed. "I passed my classes, and once I knew the grades I set about packing to fly over here. And here I am," she finished, lifting her arms up in an open gesture. "I've only been here a few days, but I'v been doing alright. Legolas has been giving me tours of the castle. I've made cookies with the kids the other day, and I may have agreed to go out on a date with Legolas tonight."

"That's wonderful!" Morwen exclaimed excitedly, making Ithilwen jump. "Do you have everything you need for tonight?"

"Well-"

"If you are about to say that you should cancel," Haldir interrupted, "you had best think again. This will be good for you and Legolas. We will all be here when you get back, so do not let our arrival thwart your plans."

Ithilwen's open mouth closed, and she sighed. "You're not a mind reader like Grandma, are you?"

"No, I was only a marchwarden under her service in Lorien and a son-in-law in the family. I could see it in your eyes before you even said the words."

She sighed again. 'Am I that transparent?' "Alright, we won't cancel. Tauriel took me to get a fancy dress yesterday, Nana. She seems to think it'll be a big thing, but it's just dinner. I was wondering though, would you have any suggestions for tonight? Legolas had trouble asking me out the other night, and I don't want to mess this up."

"He's as nervous as you," Morwen assured her, slipping and arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Anything that happens is going to be fine. Trust us on this when I say that you two were very shy around each other when he came back from the war."

"Really?"

"Very," her naneth confirmed. "Legolas wouldn't know what to say or do some days, and you both would sit there in silence while you waited for the other to talk. It's like once you two progressed to courting, you forgot how to talk!" Morwen laughed at the memories. "This is nothing new to us, so don't be afraid, alright?"

Ithilwen nodded. "Alright." What Morwen said didn't match up to all the intimate displays of affection she had seen recreated in her dreams, but looking back at how nervous Legolas was to ask her to dinner made a lot more sense now. They were both having to start over and rebuild what they had, no matter that they are still bound. That thought, while it didn't make her feel any better about the situation, did ease Ithilwen's mind. They had courted before in her previous life and it had worked out - obviously - so they could do it again. She was determined to make this work.

* * *

"There's some more ornaments in this box," Aster said, setting the container down on the floor beside Thia's feet. "I know there are those baubles you like in there, and some random ones-"

Thia had reached down and popped the flaps of the box open, digging around. "You mean like this?" she asked with a smirk, holding up a particular ornament that made her boyfriend look embarrassed.

"Like I said, random-"

"How is a Dalek considered random?" Her smirk moved on into a full grin now.

Esther, having grown curious, poked around inside the box as well. "Oh! These are so cool, Aster! Where did you get them?" She had seen all sorts of ornaments, from a few other Daleks in different colors to a little Tardis that made noise. There were even a set of Weeping Angels with their eyes covered tucked away inside. 'And he says they're just random. Really!'

"Amazon," the older man said sheepishly. "It was a late night and I was bored..."

"Dude, you don't have to explain." Jack entered the room with a box of tinsel. "So you're a Whovian. That's nothing new."

Aster nodded, feeling some relief that his friends weren't giving him grief for being a Doctor Who fan. "Although, Thia did tell me that on Halloween you dressed up as Elsa. Now _that_ needs an explanation."

* * *

That evening was one Ithilwen would remember vividly for some time. As the afternoon wore on, she knew she had a date to prepare for, and had excused herself from the co-op games. She had taken a shower, and had managed to get her bathrobe on before her door was being opened without warning. Ithilwen had a split second thought that maybe Legolas had grown tired of waiting, only to be surprised and confused when she found out that it was her cousins that had let themselves in. _"We're here to help you"_ was what they had told her, which amounted to little more than helping her dress, style her hair, argue with her about makeup (she had insisted, they refused), and more talking about what the night might hold.

'I know they meant well but did they really have to remind me that we're married?' she had thought miserably. 'I know we're married. I'd like to try and get back to that point, but I need to do that on my own terms.' Legolas and her had talked about this topic so often that it didn't bear repeating, but still her family insisted on offering advice on an experience she hoped they'd never have.

"You look stunning tonight, Ithilwen." Legolas had been telling her that since she had come downstairs to meet him.

Ithilwen had lost track of how many times he had said it. "You're doing it again," she laughed.

Legolas smiled. "Well consider me stupid, for I must have forgotten myself and wish to tell you again."

They were sitting in a darkened restaurant somewhere in Edinburgh, romantically lit with candles on each table that provided enough light to see by but added to the atmosphere. She let Legolas order for her, not familiar with some of the names on the menu, and not wanting to sound like an idiot if she tried herself. Wine had been brought to the table at his request, and Ithilwen knew that those few times she had wine with her old coworkers after work was nothing compared to what she sipped that night.

The dinner was delicious as well. "I've been eating Galion's cooking for months now," Ithilwen said softly, trying not to giggle. "so when I got over here and Erestor started cooking for me, I felt like I was cheating on Galion. Now I feel like I'm cheating on Erestor!"

He could understand that. "Erestor and Galion both have cooked for us at the castle. Ever since we came back here to Arda, I believe. When you dine out after enjoying their cooking it will feel like that, but it will pass. Still," Legolas lowered his voice, "as delicious as this meal is, it still doesn't compare to what you can expect at Christmas."

The meal passed on much like two old friends reconnecting, which in fact they were. Occasionally Legolas would reach across the table to place his hand over Ithilwen's if it lay on the table, but that was about as far as any romantic affection was shown between them. If one looked close enough into the darker places of the restaurant, one might could find couples kissing or embracing at their tables. But for Legolas and Ithilwen, these public displays of affection weren't necessary. Little smiles, hand touches, and undivided attention was all they needed. It was enough for them.

At least, that was what Ithilwen had told herself all evening. In the back of her mind, she kept rethinking her entire theory about her budding relationship. She knew there was something there; she had become more aware of it the day Legolas stayed in the kitchen with her and the younglings. This was new territory for someone whose lack of a dating life had suddenly been dumped on with a husband she couldn't remember, and she was afraid of going too fast. 'That's just it though,' she thought. 'Am I purposely making things go slower because I'm that afraid, or are things happening that are out of my control? Do I still want them to go slow?'

* * *

On the drive back to the castle, Legolas had taken a different route than when they left. Ithilwen, being unfamiliar with the area, didn't catch on to this until they had almost reached his destination. "There's something I want to show you first," he told her when she asked.

"We're not going to park like a couple of teenagers, are we?" It was a joke, but she couldn't say it with a straight face. Thankfully Legolas laughed too.

"Nope," he replied, adding, "Unless you've changed your mind, of course."

The grin told Ithilwen everything. 'He's so full of shit,' she thought. 'And to think I married him!' Curiosity did get the better of her though, and she kept looking around to see if she could guess why he had driven them out in this particular direction. It was an old road, lined with trees, but there was nothing else. "Something about this seems familiar," she said suddenly. "I don't know why, but it does."

The grin that was on Legolas' face was wiped the moment she spoke, and if he hadn't been driving for decades he might have swerved from surprise. "What...what makes you say that, melleth?"

Ithilwen shrugged. "Like I said, I don't really know. Nothing looks familiar to me, but I feel like I've been here before." She was so focused on trying to place the feeling that she didn't notice that Legolas had brought the car to a stop in the clearing.

"Hold that thought," he told her, exiting the car to come around and get her. Legolas took Ithilwen by the hand and led her across the worn dirt path up a short hill. His mind was whirling trying to understand where this came from. Was she starting to remember things outside of dreams?

The elleth was more than a little startled by how quickly Legolas' mood had changed. Things were going smoothly, and when she had mentioned that weird feeling, it was like he had clammed up. He wasn't speaking as he pulled her along the path, and Ithilwen wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. 'Does he know something I don't?' she thought. 'Of course he would; he's not the one that was reincarnated! But what isn't Legolas telling me? Is this another bad memory?'

Legolas kept a hold of Ithilwen's hand even after they reached the top of the hill. He looked down to check to see if she was cold, ready to add his own coat to her heavy one if she needed it. A small nagging thought about whether or not she was comfortable made him feel guilty for bringing her out here. It was December in Scotland and the night was clear of clouds - not the best setting to bring someone who's in the midst of a species transformation. "Are you cold?" he asked her.

"Not really," Ithilwen told him, and Legolas felt slightly better. "My feet are a little cold, but I think that's more the shoes." She was very glad that Tauriel hadn't suggested open-toe pumps when they were shopping.

"Then I shall not keep you out here for long. Now, before I say any more, tell me what you see." Legolas had intended to talk of the significance of this place, but if Ithilwen was recalling memories, he wanted to see what she could find on her own first.

Ithilwen looked out across the area from where they stood. "I see a lot of trees," she said. "A lot of old trees, like this place hasn't been touched by man's machines. I see a river, I think it's a river...and...is that the road we were just on?" She squinted in an attempt to make out the long old road buried within the sea of trees.

"Do you know where we are?"

She wracked her brain trying to think. She felt like she should know, and it was on the tip of her mind, but she couldn't reach it. "The only thing I can think of is some kind of protected grounds, maybe." She sighed. "Can I get a clue?"

Legolas laughed and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I can do you one better, love. We are standing on what once was the outlying parts of Rohan. That river you see is the Anduin, or rather its remains. Time has changed a lot about these lands. What used to be long stretches of plains is now filled with trees, and where there were forests have been cleared for cities to form." His voice sounded sad, remembering what used to be. "Everything has changed now. Men have crossed these parts over the years, but anything advanced has been kept out to preserve nature."

"Somehow I have a feeling this is your doing."

"Some," he said. "It is one of the projects the company has worked on for years. Too many lands are being cleared for homes that most cannot afford, and both human and animal suffer. To keep these forests as they are, we're trying to fund programs that will build affordable housing."

"That's wonderful, Legolas." Ithilwen had been about to speak again when she paused. Something was off to her, or maybe it was setting itself right, because she asked, "Rohan was the realm where the king's mind was poisoned by Saruman, wasn't it?"

He was floored. "Yes, that was King Theoden. How- How did you know that?"

Ithilwen looked up at Legolas and smiled. "Because you told me. You told me about your journey to Edoras when you came back to Lorien, remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Legolas laughed. "But how did you?"

She shrugged, which wasn't very obvious in the heavy coat. "Months ago when I first started seeing us in Lorien, I could see moments when we were talking, but I couldn't hear anything. I didn't put much thought into it until you said that we were on the borders of Rohan. I think that's why I remembered. But...there's more. I remember this spot because we were leaving Rohan - were we visiting or just passing through? I know that you brought me to Ithilien to see the land before the colony was built...but there's something...else." Ithilwen turned to face Legolas, searching his face for the answer. "It was in our stay in Ithilien when you asked me to marry you."

"That's...that's exactly right," Legolas swallowed. All he had wanted was to take Ithilwen out to dinner that night. Maybe detour to show her some more of middle-earth's history, but he had gotten much more than he expected. "You cried that night when I asked. We didn't make camp there for long after that, you were so excited to tell Haldir and Morwen. And you remember how well my adar took the news."

Ithilwen laughed at that memory as she stepped closer to slip her arms around Legolas' waist. His came up to wrap tightly around her as he laid his cheek against her temple. "I want to thank you, Legolas. Tonight was more than I imagined, and I have enjoyed every minute of it with you."

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that," he mumbled into her hair. "I take this to mean that you would be willing to put up with me for future date nights?" It was a teasing question, but there was some hope to it as well.

She nodded into his chest before she leaned back slightly. "Actually, there might be something else I'm willing to do." Ithilwen didn't register the innuendo in that statement, nor did she care how it was taken in that moment. When she looked up at Legolas, she knew right then. She raised one hand to his cheek, just barely touching him with the tips of her fingers, and led him down to meet her in a kiss. There was enough debating on whether she should do it or not that night, and she had grown tired of it. Her former self would have been appalled to see her act so timid around her husband, and she knew she had to step it up. Now that she was kissing Legolas, she was glad she had plucked up the courage.

Legolas hadn't expected the kiss. A goodnight kiss on the cheek had been what he was used to, and he was fine with that. But this...this was much more, even if it was so simple a gesture. And that Ithilwen had made the first move was a hopeful sign. He wasn't sure how often he'd get these kisses, so he intended to treasure each and every one.

When Ithilwen pulled back, she felt her cheeks warm and she bit her lip nervously. "Sorry," she whispered, but her smile was anything but apologetic.

"I'm not," Legolas whispered back, bringing their foreheads together. "I have waited so long to do that again, I didn't realize how much I missed it."

"Speaking as someone who doesn't remember doing that," she giggled, "I can't believe I waited that long in the first place." Ithilwen shifted slightly to kiss Legolas briefly before returning. "Thank you again, Legolas. You've given me so much more tonight."

"Melleth-nin, if anything, I should be the one thanking you. You're coming back to me, slowly but surely, and that is all I could ever ask for."

* * *

The next day saw everyone in the castle piling into cars. Tauriel's demand that they go get their Christmas trees was echoed by the younglings at breakfast. The roads were clear, as were the skies, and only a few inches of snow had settled on the ground. It was a crisp day, and an even better one to spend picking out trees.

That's what Ithilwen had learned as she finished her breakfast. This outing was practically an all-day thing. They would go out to the local tree farm - a few hours drive - and make a day of it. The people who owned the farm were descendants of Minas Tirith, like much of the area, and had grown up doing business with the elves. The younglings got enjoyment out of the petting zoo, where occasionally they would see Santa come out to feed his reindeer. When he wasn't in the pens, he was inside the little lodge, listening to the visiting children's requests for Christmas. Hot food and drinks were served in the lodge as well, and set off from where Santa was located was a gift shop. Ithilwen made use of her company card in there, selecting a few handmade ornaments that caught her eye, as well as a few trinkets to mail back to her friends in California.

However, the biggest part of what made tree shopping with the elves an all-day event was the arguing. Everyone had a preference for one particular tree, and nine times out of ten no two people would agree on the same tree.

"I like this one." Melda said.

"But it's got this big gap over here." Silima pointed out.

"So? It gives it character!"

"What about this one?" Elrohir asked.

"That short one?" His brother looked at him quizzically.

"It's not short!"

"It is compared to the one I'm looking at!"

"Yeah, well it's not full enough."

"Does Tauriel say that each night to you?" Elladan quipped.

A groan came from about three trees over. "We are in public," their adar stated. "Do have a little bit of decency. There are younglings all over this farm."

"Ooh! We need wreaths too!"

Elrond looked over at his wife. "We're looking at trees right now."

"I know," she assured him. Then she turned and shouted through another row of trees. "Mor-wen! We need to remember to buy some wreaths!"

"Alright!" the echoed yell returned, and Elrond sighed. There was no taking their family out anywhere.

Over away from the chaos and arguing, Legolas and Ithilwen walked hand in hand through a vacant row of trees. No amount of petty insults they threw at each other would deter him from his good mood that day.

Ithilwen laughed as they listened in. "This happens every year?"

"Every year since we started buying trees. The arguments aren't much different either, which makes me think they're slipping."

"So was your sister right yesterday? Do you already have a tree picked out?"

Legolas shrugged, and she laughed again at his innocent expression. "I have one in consideration, but I'd rather get your opinion before I decide."

"Oh god she _was_ right!"

He laughed then. "As you're here, I'd rather this be a joint decision," he said sincerely. "This is your first Christmas with us."

"And I hope it won't be the last."

"Not if I have anything to say about it. You know I woke up this morning believing that what happened last night was a dream?"

Ithilwen tilted her head slightly as she watched him. "You know, I could help you remember that it wasn't," she suggested, bringing him down for a kiss.

Legolas obliged and was ready for it this time. His day couldn't have gone better. They were out buying the Christmas trees, Ithilwen was with him - hell, Ithilwen was _kissing_ him. The day was perfect, or would have been except for one thing.

"Aha!" A shout broke them apart, but Legolas still held onto her as they turned to look for the voice. There, at the end of the row of trees stood his sister and Fiona. Neither one of them spoke, but it was obvious they had been outed by the two ellith.

"You know we're happy for you two and all," Fiona said, "but this year, we're buying some damn mistletoe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many, many, many apologies for not cross-posting these chapters here sooner! I've had chapters 22-24 on Fanfiction since December, and personal things have been so nerve-wracking that I simply forgot. I was scrambling through January to finish one class, and as soon as this new term started this month, technical difficulties with the school kept me from working, so I've been playing catch-up with my required reading. the good news is that this story is now up-to-date in both places!


	23. Chapter 23

Four days after Ithilwen's "first" date with Legolas, nothing had slowed down at the castle. In fact, things seemed to speed up the closer it got to Christmas. Being outed by her cousins at the tree farm the following day, everyone in the family had quickly found out that things between the pair had moved forward. She was embarrassed at first, but seeing how happy everyone was for them made the teasing a little more bearable. The day after tree shopping was the day the decorations came out, along with the age-old joke directed at the poor soul who had to get the boxes out of the walk-in closet.

They had split off into groups to decorate various parts of the house. With the addition of mistletoe this year, Silima was enlisting the help of her taller mate to go around the castle and hang it out of everyone else's reach.

"So what's the story behind the mistletoe ban?" Ithilwen found the very idea funny as hell, but the way Legolas' ears went red when she brought it up made it even funnier.

"They're overreacting," he said, loosening another knot in the strand of lights. "I was in a particularly bad mood years ago over something else entirely, and may have lost my temper on a sprig of mistletoe in the dining room entryway."

"That's why Glorfindel is hanging it out of your reach," Silima said proudly as she came into the living room. "Though after that display at the farm we heard about, that shouldn't be an issue." She had ducked out of the room as a wad of tinsel was chucked at her by the prince.

Ithilwen was becoming more used to the antics of her kin. "Does this happen just around the holidays, or can I expect it year round?"

"It gets worse around the holidays." Legolas had been distracted by the lights, not catching the rest of the sentence. When he looked up, he asked her, "Does this mean you intend on staying?"

She really wished he hadn't sounded so hopeful; it made what she said next feel even more guilt-ridden. "I do have to go back to school," she said softly, adding, "But I would like to come back! This next semester is my last, and since I already have a position in the company, I don't have to worry about looking for work. And I would like to spend more time with you, Legolas."

His expression had only faltered slightly at her reminder that she would have to leave. "Then you will finish school," came the reply, even though he wanted to beg her to stay. "I could always visit you."

"That sounds like a plan." Ithilwen smiled, feeling a tiny bit better about going back to California in the coming year. It was that thought that made her dread the start of the year in fact; the longer she stayed at the castle, the harder it would be to say goodbye, even for a few months. "So uh..." she tried to find a more suitable topic to talk about. "What would you like for Christmas?"

"You. In my bed. Wrapped or unwrapped is your decision; I'm fine either way, but strings will slow me down-"

"I meant a tangible thing!" Her cheeks felt hot and she was sure they matched the red baubles in her hands.

"You-"

"Legolas-"

He laughed. "I can't think of anything, Ithilwen. You being here is the only present I could hope for, and since I got that wish, there's no need to ask."

"Well I'm insisting on this. Is there anything practical, or silly, or just off-the-wall that you might want? Besides me?" she added jokingly. His grin was anything but joking, however.

"I honestly can't think of anything, love. Anything that comes from you will more than make me happy."

* * *

"He said that?"

"Yes," Ithilwen groaned. It was the fourth day after the date, and the second after the gift inquisition. The younger ellyn and ellith were out doing their shopping for the castle while the grandparents and great-grandparents stayed behind with the younglings. Ithilwen was following around her cousins as they searched for gifts for their mates, hoping that browsing with them might spark some inspiration with Legolas. So far, she hadn't had any luck.

Tauriel pushed her shopping cart to a stop beside Ithilwen and Melda's. "My brother isn't picky, and anything you choose to get him is going to be something he'll love _because_ it came from you."

"It might be easier if he wasn't able to buy anything and everything himself," Ithilwen pointed out.

"Oh, that's right." Melda realized.

"How can you lot forget that you have more money than sense?!"

Silima had heard the question, and saw fit to respond from the next aisle over. "Because we lack sense!" When that was met with laughter from the ellith she added, "You just wait, Ithilwen! You'll see!"

Ithilwen smiled as she pushed her shopping cart down the aisle behind Melda, who had taken the lead. That was something she looked forward to. It was already happening, of course, the feeling of belonging in a family again. She would never forget her foster mother, and would forever be grateful for taking her in...but as she grew up, it was just the two of them. She hadn't known a large family in this lifetime, and it was something she used to believe was a passing thought. Now she got that large family in spades, and they were going out of their way to make sure that she knew she belonged.

And with this being the first Christmas she spent with her family, since she still didn't know if Elves had a holiday similar or not, she wanted to make it special. During the time that she baked cookies with the kids, she had gleaned a sense of their interests, but more so she had gotten a mental tally of what they wanted from Santa. As soon as she had been able to, she had written down the list and ran it by their parents. The last thing she wanted to do was be the aunt that bought something they knew they weren't allowed to have.

Like lawn darts. For some reason the twins had wanted lawn darts, but Tauriel had vetoed that immediately. Ithilwen had been pretty certain of her reaction, and in place of massive head trauma she was able to find a set of Nerf guns with multiple rounds of foam darts.

Her cousins were easier to shop for because she had known them longer, and it helped that they would "drop" hints whenever they saw something they liked. As she had come to learn, Christmas at the castle was more focused on the kids and food. They liked to eat and got more enjoyment out of watching the younglings open their presents. Gifts among the adult were exchanged, but it was geared more towards practical things or gag gifts. The elders went out in a group one day to shop, then the younger generation took another day, and finally the children were sent to shop by whomever wished to relive the chaos of shopping a second time. It lacked some surprise between the groups going out, but they enjoyed the "thrill of the hunt" more.

"Have you thought about something creative?" Fiona said as they moved from men's clothes to electronics. "Something that's unique and meant just for Legolas?"

Tauriel wrinkled her nose. "Why does that sound like one of those coupon books that husbands make for their wives when they've near-forgotten an anniversary?"

"That wouldn't be appropriate anyway," Melda reminded her. "They've just started dating again. Most of the things you'd find in those books would be out of Ithilwen's comfort zone right now."

"And she's got one more semester to sit out," Silima said.

"I'm _literally_ right here!" Ithilwen felt a little silly being talked about as if she weren't there beside them. They meant well, she was certain of it, but it was almost like being a child again. What they had been saying among themselves did send of signals in her head, and she motioned to get their attention. "While the coupon idea won't work, and since all the reasons have been pointed out, it does give me an idea..."

The smile on Ithilwen's face must have been infectious, because soon after each ellith was grinning in much the same manner.

* * *

Back at the castle, stowed away in the larger kitchen was Erestor and Galion, setting about making lunch. While the addition of a second set of hands helped speed things along, the scholar didn't take kindly to some of his culinary suggestions.

"You're telling me you won't try the cajun meatloaf recipe?"

"No."

"Not even if I made it?" Galion attempted to look downtrodden, but the only effect it had on Erestor was that it made him snort lightly.

"Why should I break the traditions of things that work?"

"Because..." Galion drug out, much like a little kid, "There's more spices to a cajun meatloaf. It's only hotter than hell if you put in too much of the spices! Look, I made it for Ithilwen after she quit her waitressing job to help put her weight back on. She enjoyed it!"

"I imagine she did if she was blatantly starving herself for the sake of work."

"She tried the recipe _before_ she started trying to starve herself and said she enjoyed it."

Erestor turned away from the ellon with the deep-seated pan in his hands, moving towards the oven. Galion followed and opened the door for him, allowing Erestor to set the casserole on the rack without jostling the contents. He nodded his gratitude and said, "How big is this meatloaf? If no one else in the house were to like it I would hate for food to be wasted."

"Only as big as any other meatloaf, so however large you intended to make it. I wouldn't worry about it going to waste, Erestor. Thranduil and Ithilwen were able to put away the last one I made within three nights meals and two lunches." That had been one of the last meals he had fixed before they set out for Scotland, simply because he knew the leftovers wouldn't go bad. "Would you be more interested in trying the recipe if I could get Lindir on board with the idea?"

The darker haired ellon still didn't look convinced.

"What about this?" Galion tried a different tactic. "If I made a _small_ meatloaf for lunch, say tomorrow, and it goes over well, would you allow me to fix it again as a dinner a few days before Christmas? You have the dinners for Christmas Eve and Christmas day planned out already, I know, but this could take some of the pressure off of you! And since it's small, if no one else likes it, then Ithilwen and Thranduil can inhale it as a midnight snack or something."

Galion waited for Erestor to respond for what felt like an hour, and when the ellon decided to speak, he had already convinced himself that the scholar would still say no. Surprisingly, he was wrong. "If you can make a small one for tomorrow's lunch, then I will coordinate the main and additional sides accordingly."

"What were you thinking of?"

Erestor shrugged. "Perhaps a grilled lemon chicken breast with vegetables that would suit both dishes."

"That would be nice. I haven't had your grilled lemon chicken in a while."

"That would be because you have been galivanting around the globe learning off-the-wall recipes."

"You just said that you would try it!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, the younglings were introducing their great-grandparents to the newest developments in video games.

"You have to do what he does, Great Grandpa!"

"Wave your arms like this!"

"No, no! That's not it at all!"

Celeborn withheld the swear that had nearly spilled from his lips as he bent in a position that wasn't normal even by elven standards. And he was pretty sure something popped.

Thranduil had been reclining on the couch behind him, enjoying every moment of the Lorien ruler's uncoordinated gameplay. "Are you having trouble, Celeborn? Do you need to rest?"

"Shut it!" he barked back, making the old king laugh.

"Not everyone can master this game right out, you know-"

Miraear had been sitting with Baineth watching the scene unfold. "Oh you're one to talk!" she told her mate. "You were just as bad as those mortals we watched on the viral videos!" Looking over at Galadriel she recounted the memory. "It was hilarious when we first got the game. None of us knew anything about these dancing games, but the younglings had shown us some videos online of mortals recreating the dances to share with their friends. Some were so bad that Thranduil said, 'Let's buy this game and I can _prove_ that an elf is more than capable of mastering this novelty!' Well, Tauriel took them out to the mall, where they picked out the game. Got home and they convinced their grandpa to put his words to truth, and let me tell you Galadriel-" she stopped talking when she started laughing. "-You never heard so much swearing come from one elf! I don't think he swore that much when our troops met to fight off Sauron's forces at the end of the war!"

From his position in front of the large television, Celeborn struggled with another pose. "Thank you Miraear, you have restored my faith in the fact that I am not the only one to fight a losing battle with this game. Perhaps when I have had more practice I will improve."

"It can't hurt," she told him. "Thranduil still struggles with Uptown Funk on the hardest setting."

"Thank you, Mira," Thranduil said dryly. "Reveal my weakness to my mortal enemy."

"There's nothing mortal about Celeborn, and he's basically your father-in-law." she countered.

"Seeing as how we are roughly similar in age, that statement boggles the mind," Celeborn said, distracted by the increased pace of the song. He knew the results were going to be bad, but right now that didn't matter to him. He now knew that Thranduil sucks just as bad at something from this new Arda, and he had lived among the developments longer. It was oddly satisfying.

* * *

In California, two sets of couples had finished decorating their cabin for the holidays, but something was lacking under the tree. And in the refrigerator. And also in the cabinets.

They had taken both cars to do their Christmas shopping, and would meet together for lunch before going to buy food for the cabin. Since the area was prone to more snowfall than most other places in the state, it was a good excuse to stock up in the event of being snowed in. When Aster had suggested the idea, Esther had panicked. It had taken a lot of convincing from the other three, along with the evidence of generators, to keep her from going back to Virginia instead.

Jack was standing behind the shopping cart, looking down at the various things inside. Besides gifts, Esther had been putting in "essentials" as a precaution in case they ran out. "Would you really have flown back to Virgina?"

Esther turned from her squatted position on the feminine care aisle. For some reason the stockers always put the super plus absorbent tampons on the bottom shelf, and that day she had to squat and nearly climb in the shelves to reach the last boxes in the back. She had looked victorious with her find until Jack had spoken, and she looked up at him in concern. "You're still thinking about that?"

"Well you did tell your parents you had other plans. I mean, it's a possibility of being snowed in, but that could happen in Virginia too. Remember?"

She stood up and winced as she felt her left knee pop. "That was a reflex, Jack," she said, putting the boxes in the cart. "In Virginia I know how things work. This is our first Christmas away from home, so of course I'm skittish about new environments. Once we've been there more than a few days, I'll be alright."

"So this isn't about-"

"It's not and I will be fine, Jack. I promise."

Jack let the conversation drop then. He had had a moment of panic himself that he thought Esther's freakout earlier had been about her fear that he couldn't take care of her, but it wasn't that at all. Things would work out. "Okay," he changed topics. "What should we get for Aster? I'm thinking a beard trimmer."

"Jack..."

"What? I don't know how to shop for another guy!"

Esther gave him a look. "Thia gave me some suggestions before we left the cabin. I think we can do better than a beard trimmer." With her hand on the cart's side, she tugged lightly, motioning for him to follow her. 'Honestly! I should be surprised he didn't suggest one of those pocket fishing games!'

* * *

"That is so cute! Where did you learn to do that?"

Ithilwen looked up from her bent position over the round table. "Pinterest," she grinned. "When I got overwhelmed with studying for finals I'd take a break and scroll through the crafty pins. I never had the money or enough people to give any of the things I pinned to, so they've just built up over time."

Arriving back to the castle after shopping was interesting. It became a mad dash to get the gifts to the bedrooms without anyone trying to peek in the bags. The grandparents were still in the living room distracting the younglings, which was a blessing. After the bags had been tucked away into closets, Ithilwen had felt bold enough to make herself cozy in the smaller kitchen. She had promised the youngest elves that she would make cookies when she came to the castle, but she wanted to surprise them with some other treats. A few of her cousins had found her shortly after she had gotten started, and not wanting to miss out on talk-time, they had joined in.

"Are we sure the miniature oreos for hats aren't overkill?" Elladan had come into the kitchen to find his wife, only to see that they were decorating oreo balls with gel icing. He reached around Ithilwen's left to sneak a few miniature oreos out of the bowl.

"That's why they're special," Ithilwen told him. "And you're a thief."

"I am special," he replied.

Fiona snorted. "That you are."

Melda set another snowman over with the finished pieces. "Besides, Christmas calories don't count. Don't you know that?"

"Not for us anyway," Legolas said, walking into the kitchen. He nudged Elladan out of the way purposely to bend down and give Ithilwen a quick kiss. The ellon that had been jilted muttered that he was "an ass", to which Legolas made a rude gesture without looking at him. It was all in fun of course; just another way they poked fun at each other for centuries. The insults and gestures would change with the times, so whenever they did return to Valinor, they all would have their own set of inside jokes.

"Knock it off, Legolas, we're working."

"Looks to me like you're playing with the icing," he commented, watching Tauriel make swirls with the tube of orange. He looked back to Ithilwen, watching her paint the face of the snowman on before adding a drop of icing to hold the miniature oreo hat on. She looked more comfortable taking charge, which was what he had hoped for. "So how did shopping go?"

"It went really well," she said, distracted with making clean lines.

"What'd you get me?"

Ithilwen paused in her work to look up at him with a frown. "Now why would I tell you that?"

"Because you love me?"

"Try again."

"Because you're my wife and we don't keep secrets from each other."

She squinted her eyes. "Like how you forgot to tell me that you paid off my loans, the company card with my name on it, my share of the company...need I go on?"

"Ooh snap." Tauriel snickered.

Legolas paled slightly as he recalled doing each thing she mentioned. "Right. I said I was sorry!"

"And I forgive you."

"So will you tell me what you got me for Christmas then?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

"Because it will ruin the surprise!"

Erestor came into the kitchen to check on the ellith right as Legolas had begun to pester Ithilwen again. He sighed and told her, "This is the ugly side to the ellon in this house, Little Star. They can become as bad and far worse than the younglings around Christmas. We should have prepared you before you went shopping. Things will only get worse."

Elladan put his hands up defensively. "I am offended by that! I am _not_ like my brother or Legolas-!"

"You lying shit!" echoed through the adjoining kitchen. Apparently Elrohir was in the other room. He never made an appearance, but he continued to shout. "You are _worse_ than me and Legolas combined!"

"To be fair, Little Star, your mate has had a much longer time of holding in his pestering compared to the others. It should wane by next Christmas." Erestor finished his rounds of the kitchen before returning to the larger room.

"He's right," Melda said. "Legolas has been so deprived since you've been gone." When he made a face at her, she stuck out her tongue.

Tauriel, unable to let that comment sit, added "He's been so deprived, I'm surprised he's not outside your door at night, scratching on it like a cat wanting in!"

"I'll have you know that I am welcome in Ithilwen's room-"

"He is," Ithilwen added, "Just not in my underwear-"

"Yet." Was the chorused response of the other ellith in the room.

Ithilwen felt her face get hot again, but she wasn't certain it was from embarrassment this time around. "You people are terrible."

* * *

Early that evening, Legolas had taken Ithilwen out on an impromptu date. There was no warning, no preparation, he had just approached her and asked her to get her coat and follow him. It wasn't until they had set off down the driveway that he even told her they were going on a date, and the reaction was instant. She had begun to protest, not because of the date itself, but because of the lack of time to get ready. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn out shopping that day, her hair had been pulled back messily while she was making candy, and she had no makeup on. Legolas didn't mind, and he told her so.

"Where we're going, you won't have to be dressed to the nines. In fact, it's better that you're in jeans."

Ithilwen wasn't sure what to expect from Legolas' plans, and any attempts she made to get so much as a hint were met with denials. She eventually gave up and stared out the window as if the scenery could provide a clue. Not that she would have known if it had; some of the road signs they had passed were illogical and meaningless to her.

The sun had begun to set when they reached their destination, a simple brick building on the outside. There were few windows on the sides, and for good reason as she learned upon stepping inside. Legolas had brought her to an indoor/outdoor archery range for their date. He had secured a place away from the other guests so that they could have some privacy; to Ithilwen it seemed as if he had been to this place quite often in the past.

"When we first began courting," he had said as he led her to their spot, "we would spend many days at the archery fields. Things had become so competitive that we had tired of traditional shooting and were attempting trick shots to keep it interesting. Your adar was less than enthusiastic when he first heard."

"So this is why you told me not to get dressed up." Ithilwen wasn't feeling so confident about her abilities. Not once in this lifetime had she ever shot a bow, and here he was wanting to pick up on where they left off in that too.

"Yes." Legolas had gone down the aisle to secure the target in place, and was on his way back when he noticed her frown. "For today we can just shoot traditionally, if you prefer?"

She nodded. "I would if I could. I've never shot a bow, Legolas." After watching herself in her memories, it was embarrassing to admit.

"Then I will teach you," he said with a smile.

Legolas didn't seem bothered in the least by her admission, and she hoped that she didn't make a fool of herself in front of him. From then on until closing hour, he instructed her on how to shoot, all the way from holding the bow to hitting the desire target. Ithilwen struggled at first, but not nearly as bad as she expected to. He was ever the patient teacher, encouraging her even as her first half dozen attempts didn't reach the hay target. When she had hit the bale of hay, Ithilwen had been so excited that she had pulled Legolas down for a kiss that left them both distracted. Neither one seemed to mind, but even away from the other guests at the range didn't mean they had total privacy.

When they had returned the equipment at the end of their stay, Ithilwen had folded up her target sheets to keep. Most of them had holes all across the sheet, but on the last one, she had successfully hit the bulls eye twice.

* * *

'So...dreaming again. Wonder what it is _this_ time?'

Since Ithilwen had begun to recover some memories while she was awake, the moments when she slept were becoming less and less likely that she would relive anything. Especially being back on the remains of Ithilien; even just walking into a room that was built over where their home had once been could trigger a sense of deja vu. She didn't mind, but it had made her wonder if she was nearing the end of this little journey of self-rediscovery. That was in a way good and bad. Good, because she'd _finally_ know what everyone was talking about. However, the bad that followed was that there would be no reason to not move further with Legolas, which wasn't even the "bad" thing. The "bad" thing that haunted the elleth's thoughts was that she still didn't feel ready to take that next step, and way back she had always felt assured that when she got all of her memories, she'd be ready.

There was progress from when she first arrived at the castle. Hell, she had been bold enough to kiss him first that night on their date! That was about all they had done though. Ithilwen knew Legolas wanted more, and she wanted to be able to say she was ready...but she couldn't do it. She couldn't do it, and it was driving her crazy trying to understand why.

Now she was dreaming in a memory again, and based on everything she had seen of middle-earth, this was not middle-earth that she was standing in. It certainly wasn't any rural part of this world either, because there wasn't even the sign of an electric pole to be found for miles. 'Is this the moment when I realize I'm having an existential crisis?' Ithilwen thought as she walked around the open area. There was a shelter of some kind in the distance, but she couldn't make sense of her bearings. 'Is this some kind of farm? And do I smell...rain?'

Ithilwen looked to the sky to see dark clouds hanging overhead, and felt the first few drops of water land on her cheeks. She didn't feel her clothes get wet, but it felt real all the same. When she returned her gaze before her, she saw herself calling out names she didn't recognize. One by one small children - very young elves, she realized - came out from their hiding places to join her.

"Get them back to the house," old-Ithilwen had told the tallest child. "I will go find him and meet you there." She lingered for just a moment as the oldest child led the huddled group to their destination before she set off, and Ithilwen was right behind her.

"Who was that?" she asked, knowing it was useless. "And who are you looking for? Legolas?"

Old-Ithilwen had found the smallest youngling hidden behind a tree stump. She scooped him up as a mother would and hurried back to the other children. Ithilwen kept pace with her former self, hearing the little ellon sniffle about how he was scared that none of the bigger younglings would find him in time. Old-Ithilwen assured him that all was well; she only wanted to get them inside from the nasty weather that was approaching. Ithilwen silently listened, and judging from the way she talked with the child, she must have been babysitting the group.

The weather was getting worse, which made the younglings grouped together tense up as the thunder and lightening took precedence over the rain. They had all but stopped moving to the shelter when Ithilwen, her old self, and the youngling got into view. To her horror, Ithilwen saw one of the older children break off from his group, calling out to his little brother. She tried shouting to the ellon that they were on their way to them, to stay put, but it was all useless. She had heard a crash come from her far left that Old-Ithilwen was more drawn to, and when she turned, Ithilwen could see why.

'That is a very, very big horse,' she thought with a gulp. 'And it's coming this way.'

Old-Ithilwen broke out into a sprint towards the oblivious child. Ithilwen followed, reaching her as she pushed the smaller ellon into his arms, shouting for him to go back to the others quickly. Instead of going with them, or even joining the stable hands that were fruitlessly running after the horse, Old-Ithilwen turned to face Ithilwen.

"C-can you see me?"

"You can do this," was all that Old-Ithilwen said, stepping through the sheer form of Ithilwen.

Ithilwen blinked, almost certain that her old self had actually noticed her, until she came to realize three things. One, she remembered that this was Valinor. Two, that she was now entombed in her old body as she had been once before. And three, this was the day that she died.

"Fuck me," she said miserably as the body moved on auto pilot once again. This was not the memory she wanted to relive, much less in the body that it happened in. As the form ran towards the horse, Ithilwen had to resign herself to having no control over what happened this time. This was a visual retelling - as well as physical, given the ache in her shoulder - that she was doomed to experience all over again. 'Because being told you die from internal bleeding just isn't good enough anymore,' she thought bitterly.

Old-Ithilwen's body had somehow managed to leap onto this horse's back, but Ithilwen felt the sharp pain from the instant it connected with his shoulder as she clung to his neck. Her hands moved just enough to tug on the mane, and while she managed to avert the horse from trampling the youglings she had been watching over, it pissed the horse off enough to sprint into the open fields. 'Where is Legolas?' she thought hopelessly. Ithilwen knew that it was pointless to hope for a plot twist to this story; she was living proof that her prince wouldn't be there to save her.

"Great. Now where are we, horse?" Ithilwen had seen piles of lumber, stones, and other assorted building tools that she might have found in an old-world hardware store blur past her. "Your dumb ass brought us to a fucking construction site?!" she shouted, knowing the horse couldn't hear her.

If it had, the lightning wouldn't have startled it into bucking her off into broken stones. She felt pain the likes of which she had never experienced before as the horse left her to die. Things felt broken, she was most definitely bleeding, and everything was going dark.

Ithilwen blinked, finding herself bashed against the rocks that she had previously been laying on. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as she felt a sob hit her. This was it. This was the last of the things she would see.

"Ithilwen! Ithilwen!"

The sound that she had hoped to hear had come too late, but she was still relieved to see Legolas running towards her. Even as a spectral form she wanted to go hug him, to apologize for doing something so reckless, but he had passed through her and reached her battered form. He looked terrified as he lifted her up, and this time Ithilwen didn't hesitate in keeping up.

From the moment Legolas stepped into the healer's building with his mate in his arms, Ithilwen had stuck by her old-self. It was pointless as she hovered around the bed, watching the healers run diagnostics on her body's injuries, hoping for a fix. 'You wouldn't be here if they had fixed you then,' she reminded herself. 'You would be in Valinor. With Legolas. With the family you both had always wanted.'

One healer, the leading one Ithilwen assumed, exited the room to speak with Legolas and their parents. She could hear them outside the door, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her old body behind. Still watching the body on the bed, she moved to stand by the closed door to listen.

"...We have done all that can be done for Lady Ithilwen. The wounds that she has sustained are far greater than our healing magic can repair. The stones that Lord Legolas informed us he found her on have broken six of her ribs, and from the placement of the fractures we can only assume she has internal bleeding."

"That is something you know how to repair. What are you not telling us?" It was her naneth.

She heard the healer sigh. That wasn't good. "Ithilwen's spine has been severely damaged. Because of the sheer number of broken bones, we cannot turn her to inspect her spinal column without running the risk of doing further damage. This would require a long recovery on her part, if she is up to the fight. However...if she manages to heal her body, I cannot say for certain that she would walk again."

Ithilwen felt sick to her stomach. Paralyzed? She had been rejected from her old form before she could say for certain if that were possible, but she recalled all the pain.

Legolas had been irate with this answer, but she had missed what he said. She did hear the doctor tell him that he not set his hopes too high. "You must remember that she is bleeding internally. There is nothing we can do to stop the bleeding." Then, "I would suggest to prepare yourselves for the worst, my lord. There is a small chance that your wife can make it through this, but do not place all of your hope on so small a possibility."

Ithilwen moved back as the door came open again. She watched the chief healer speak in hushed tones with the few that remained in the room to monitor her body. Then her family had come in. She could feel the tears already falling as she moved to stand with Legolas at the bedside. It hurt that she couldn't reach out to him in this memory, to tell him that it would get better, that he would find her again. As it was, she could barely hear the words he whispered to her around his own tears.

"Ithilwen...I will always love you. You are my everything, melamin. I do not know how I can do this without you by my side... You have to find some way to come back to me, my love...my Ithilwen..."

The tears were falling harder now, and Ithilwen could barely see her old self on the bed in front of her anymore. She felt like her heart was breaking watching this. She made a final attempt to put her hand on Legolas' shoulder, but instead of going through as it once would have, it had started to fade. Ithilwen blinked through the tears, realizing that it wasn't her crying that was blurring her vision; it was the dream ending.

"That's it?!" she shrieked, seeing everything turn dark. "That's all you bastards will let me see?! Well fuck you! Just fuck you! Who the hell are you to determine what I get to see?! Do you hear me you ignorant bastards?! FUCK. YOU-!"

* * *

Ithilwen's cheeks and pillow were wet from her tears as she jerked awake, breathing heavily. She sat up on shaky arms and pulled her knees into her chest, unable to stop crying.

That was it. That was her last day, her last hours. Now she understood why no one wanted to talk about that day, to hope that she would remember it herself. It was far too painful to recount, and they had omitted much of what they had been told about her condition. 'If they think I'm going to jump on a rogue horse again, they can rest assured that I won't.' She rubbed her cheeks furiously, unable to stop the tears or dry her skin. 'If it wasn't for those kids I wouldn't have done something so stupid in the first place-'

Ithilwen froze in her thoughts. She had just spoken of the events as if they happened a month ago. She searched her mind, trying to think of happier memories, and was amazed when a plethora came forward that she didn't remember dreaming about.

All of her memories had come back.

This made her cry for a different reason, but it was one of happiness and relief. As she reached for a tissue on the end table, she noticed that it was still the middle of the night. According to the clock, it was just after two-thirty. 'There's no way Legolas would be awake right now anyway,' she thought. But she desperately wanted to see him.

Ithilwen dried her face and blew her nose before she got out of bed. It had to be one of the craziest things she had ever done in this lifetime, but right then she didn't care. She had to see Legolas. She needed to see Legolas. She just hoped that he wouldn't turn her away.

Instead of approaching from outside in the hallway, Ithilwen took the "hidden hallway" he had shown her. This would be the first time she had ever used the hallway, but something told her it wouldn't be the last. As she slowly opened the door to his room, she found him asleep on the bed, as to be expected.

'Maybe I shouldn't wake him-'

'Are you insane?!' Another part of her mind argued with her insecure side. 'He said that you could always come to him about anything. _Anything!_ I would think that this is a _big_ thing!'

As much as that thought had been right, Ithilwen was still unsure. Her feet - on the other hand, so to speak - had made the decision easy. They were leading her to the bed before she realized it. Standing next to the bed, Ithilwen didn't give it a second thought as she pulled back the covers enough to slide in. She wasn't afraid that Legolas would wake up. She was afraid that he'd ask questions she wasn't ready to answer yet.

Just as Ithilwen settled into the bed, Legolas had woken. "Ithilwen?" It was said softly, like she were a figment of his dreams.

"Is it okay if I sleep in here tonight?" she asked in the same hushed tone.

"Of course, love." He patted the space right next to him and Ithilwen scooted closer. As Legolas put his arms around her, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Not quite the question Ithilwen feared, but it was on its way to being one. "Not tonight," she tried not to beg, "Can we talk about it in the morning?"

Legolas, even half-awake, could tell that it was something big that unsettled her. "Anything you wish, my love," he whispered back, pulling her against him.

Ithilwen hated that she didn't tell Legolas right then. She knew he would want to know that she had gotten the rest of her memories back, but she couldn't bear to recount what led up to that discovery. It was too painful to talk about so late at night, and it was something better to be discussed when they were both more awake. This stalling gave her a few precious hours to prepare for that morning conversation, but the thought still lingered that she would have to tell him as she snuggled closer, settling into the crook of his neck to sleep. But for tonight, this was all she needed. Tonight, being here with Legolas was all that mattered.


	24. Chapter 24

Legolas shifted in his bed, feeling as though something were different about that morning. He had been dreaming of Ithilwen the previous night - nothing new about that. He couldn't recall all of it, but it had been pleasant, especially one moment when she had crawled into bed with him. That had been nice, even if it was a dream.

Then he had gained more focus of his surroundings and felt something pressing against his chest. And it was breathing.

Now more alert, Legolas looked down and relaxed instantly when he saw that it was Ithilwen. 'So it wasn't a dream,' he thought, watching her sleep. 'This is much better than a dream.' Legolas wasn't sure why she had appeared in his room last night, and thinking back on it, whatever made her take that leap must have been upsetting. Ithilwen lay against the length of his body, her face pressed along the curve of his shoulder. Legolas could feel the steady breathing against his neck. His arm that lay around her waist tightened, and in return she pressed herself even closer.

'This is something I've missed dearly,' he thought as he watched her. There was a peacefulness about waking up with his mate beside him. It was also a selfish feeling he couldn't escape. Logically, he knew that this would end; Ithilwen would return to her room, and he'd be sleeping alone again. Could anyone blame him for not wanting this moment to end?

"Legolas?"

"Ithilwen." He looked down to see her looking around the room blearily. "Good morning, love."

"Good...morning." Ithilwen had to pause to yawn. She hadn't realized she was so tired. 'I guess waking up upset does that to you.' With that thought, she remembered why it was that she came into Legolas' room in the first place. "I...have something...I need to tell you, Legolas."

He watched her with concern. Ithilwen had looked exhausted one second, and then just as quickly became alert. Her words hadn't held any comfort either. "Whatever you need to say, just say it," he told her softly. "Whatever it is, we will handle it."

She let out a light sigh and shifted away from him slightly. Ithilwen wasn't sure how Legolas was going to react, so it was better that she put a little bit of space between them, just in case. "Last night, I dreamt again. Last night, Legolas, I- I...got my memories back. I remember everything from my first life."

There was silence, which was worrisome for Ithilwen. Maybe it was too early in the day to drop a bombshell like that. Legolas just stared at her, like he was trying to comprehend her words, when he broke out into a smile. "That's all?" he asked. "Ithilwen, this is wonderful news!"

"Maybe for you," she mumbled, moving into a sitting position on the bed.

Legolas' brows furrowed. "I thought that was what you wanted as well?" Had he been misinterpreting her signals for weeks now? Was she afraid of what would come next? Did she think he expected her to sleep with him right after?

Ithilwen pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her arms across them. "It is," she said softly. "Don't get me wrong, Legolas. I'm really happy that I can now keep up with all the stories you all have been telling since I got here. I only wish that I could have gotten my memories back differently."

He mimicked her movements, only choosing to sit a little closer to her again. "What do you mean? What did you see?"

That was the question she had been terrified of the night before, and that morning it didn't exactly make her do cartwheels. "The dream started in Valinor. I saw the storm...the horse...Legolas, I saw how I _died_. I saw it all in very clear detail; nothing was left vague for me."

"Oh melleth-"

"It was terrifying," she kept going. "Downright terrifying. I woke up crying last night. When I tried to think of something happier to calm myself down, other memories I didn't remember seeing in my dreams came back. The more I thought, the more I remembered. But it wasn't enough. I couldn't be alone. I couldn't go back to sleep alone last night..."

"...So that is why you came to me," Legolas realized. He watched Ithilwen nod weakly. "You don't have to be ashamed, love. While I'm ecstatic that you remember it all now, I wish you hadn't had to relive that particular memory again."

Ithilwen relaxed instantly when Legolas slipped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his side. "Maybe it's divine punishment for not coming here sooner? Or for not fulfilling my wifely duties?"

Legolas snorted. "The only thing I expect of you is to come to me when you need me. And you have," he added. "I don't expect anything from you you're not willing to give, so don't let some traditionalist demands force you into thinking that way."

She nodded, more out of habit than anything. "What happens now?" Ithilwen still felt like a newcomer to her kin's world; even having these memories now, she wasn't sure what to do next. She hadn't paused long enough to think about the "after".

Legolas was mulling the recent events over in his mind and hadn't heard her question until Ithilwen repeated it. He looked down embarrassed at her and was about to apologize when his stomach made a noise similar to a garbage disposal that was about to give out. "Breakfast," he said, grinning. "And don't tell anyone you've regained your memories. Let's mess with them over breakfast first."

* * *

Screwing with her family first thing in the morning probably wasn't one of the brightest ideas that Legolas had ever come up with, but the very thought was so tempting that Ithilwen couldn't resist. The first meal of the day had been served, and as everyone settled in to eat, talk of the old days had come up again. In order for Ithilwen to get a leg up on everyone else in the dining room, she had to remain quiet until the time was right. Unfortunately, she was itching to jump in at every opportunity.

Legolas sat beside her at the table, listening to everyone else talk but being mindful of his little mate next to him. She had developed a hell of a poker face in the span of time since she had left his room to dress, and no one was the wiser about her recent developments. 'Except maybe Galadriel,' he realized all too late. A quick glance across the table to the Lady of Light showed no signs of her knowing, but even without Nenya's powers she probably knew.

Legolas liked Lady Galadriel. He respected her as an elder and superior ruler. However her ability to read minds made it a bitch to surprise her.

"Do you remember when we got caught slipping that itching herb into the clean laundry, 'Dan?"

Glorfindel chuckled. "Which time? When you two got into the armory and hid it in the captain's robes, or that time in Ithilien-"

"The second one," Elrohir grinned.

"Oh yes, I remember that," Legolas said, reaching under the table to touch Ithilwen's thigh lightly. It was their signal. He was telling her to jump into the fray whenever she wished now. "If I recall correctly, you had my entire council squirming almost as bad as when Ithilwen berated them for going behind her back and passed a decision without our approval. I missed that moment but I'll never forget the looks of anguish on their faces from your handiwork."

Elladan leaned around Fiona to look towards Ithilwen. "You may not remember this cousin, but because of our antics, you had to appease the council by washing their robes personally."

"Actually," Ithilwen said, "I believe all that was required of me was to issue a formal apology on your behalf to the council. If memory serves me it was the pair of you that were required to wash the soiled robes."

"What-"

"How-"

But Ithilwen wasn't done. "I believe there was another time that you both thought it amusing to interrupt the one moment of private time Legolas and I had to ourselves in months. Neither one of you expected to see him come out of our talan buck naked to chase you down, and you certainly didn't count on me responding with my own plan of attack a week later. Tell me, how cold _was_ that water that was dumped on you? It was barely spring then, and I'm sure the sun hadn't been able to warm it properly yet."

The table was silent as Ithilwen talked, but beside her Legolas was practically grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Ithilwen looked around innocently at all of the stunned expressions.

"When did you remember that?" Tauriel finally asked. "You haven't said anything about any new memories for a while."

"Oh," she replied nonchalantly, "I remembered because I got the rest of them back last night."

Between the exclamations of joy that suddenly picked up, Bernard blurted out, "And you didn't think to tell us?!"

"I told Legolas!"

Her cousin rounded on him then. "And why didn't you say anything?!" After catching crap from Thranduil for not telling them outright that he had located Ithilwen when they first enrolled in college, this was mind boggling and irritating.

Legolas didn't appear phased by Bernard's interrogation. While he had the skills to intimidate some, he wasn't quite at Erestor's level just yet. "Because this was funnier," he said as he continued to grin.

"Well...seeing as how I'm the only human at this table, and even thought I don't understand all of this, I'm happy for you." Payne had moved into one of the guest rooms for the holidays two days prior at Legolas' insistence. Since he had been invited for Christmas, and it was bad to snow like hell, it just made sense. Payne was practically considered an "elf-friend" by the old customs anyway.

"Thank you Payne," Ithilwen sent him a smile.

"What does this mean for your plans?" Celeborn asked her. There was an underlying guilt in not spending more time with this grandchild, for much of his attention had been diverted by the younglings wanting to show him _everything_ in creation, but she had been understanding. He had hoped that she would stay past the holiday season so that he and Galadriel could reconnect with their reborn family member more after the younglings returned to school.

Before Ithilwen could answer, Legolas did. "She's going to finish her studies above all else." He sent a few pointed looks around the table at those he knew would protests. "Ithilwen has come too far in her college work to give it up on my account or anyone else's."

When she realized how badly his statement could have been taken, Ithilwen stepped in quickly to clarify. "What Legolas means is that I've got one semester left before graduation. After that," and here she paused to meet her husband's gaze, "I plan to come back here."

"I can be satisfied with that," Morwen smiled. "You'll have to keep us informed of all the important dates, Ithilwen. We may have missed most of your college years, but we are going to want to be there for your graduation."

As breakfast resumed and conversation turned to other things, Ithilwen was just settling back into her meal when she felt a hand reach under the table and squeeze her knee. She looked up to see that it was Legolas, who sent her a small smile that she was quick to return. This was the first time she had explicitly stated that she planned to return to the castle, no maybes about it. It would mean that she would have to leave behind the life she had in San Francisco, but in retrospect, it had already begun to happen the day she learned she was an elf. Post-college life would distance herself away from her mortal friends naturally anyway; moving across the ocean to live in an ancient castle was just making that step a leap.

* * *

In the secluded cabin, the two couples were sitting around the coffee table in the living room. A worn addition of Trivial Pursuit was set up on the table, and from just looking at the scene, it appeared that they had been playing for hours.

Aster picked up a card from the new pile and looked to Jack. "Okay, here's yours. What did the first Spanish dog to be fitted with contact lenses not see the day after the fitting?"

Jack's nose wrinkled in response to the question. "That sounds like a riddle."

"I swear it's a legit question, mate."

While he thought, Esther and Thia sat silently and watched, trying to see if they could come up with the answer too. Aster waited patiently as Jack frowned in thought. Finally he had a solution. "Colors? Cause aren't dogs color blind? It'd be some grim irony if I'm right."

Aster looked down at the card and snorted. "You got the grim part right, Jack. The card says 'The car that killed him'."

"Damn, that is grim."

"And ironic," Thia grinned, reaching for a card. "Your turn, Aster! Now, what problem did Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and General George Patton have in common?"

"Weird hair?" He joked. "Nah, nah, give me a second."

As he went silent, Esther leaned over Thia's shoulder to look at the card. "Ooh, I didn't know that!" she exclaimed, "Though I don't know who General Patton is anyway."

Thia looked back to Aster when he still hadn't spoken up. "No idea?"

"No idea, sweetheart. Put me out of my misery."

"To be fair, I didn't know it until I read the answer," she said as she turned the card towards him. "They were all dyslexic."

"How does anyone know that?" Jack asked. The trio of shrugs he received in response were about as unsatisfying as the game itself. The Trivial Pursuit box with its worn and frayed edges lay underneath the coffee table, and if Jack was interpreting the looks of his friends, the board itself would soon join its container. He sat back in his seat and stretched. "So am I right in saying that the public education system has failed us?"

Aster let out a bark of laughter. "I did three years of private school, Jack, and it wasn't any different for me then."

"Ooh. Fancypants boyfriend you got there, Thia."

Thia shot a look at Jack for his teasing, but it was hard to look stern when she was laughing as well. "Then what shall we do? I found a monopoly game in the closet-"

"Keep it in the closet!" Both Jack and Aster said quickly. Thia didn't bother to finish the sentence after that. It was apparent that both of the men had issues with the game that could be more bloodthirsty and time consuming than Risk.

"...I did find another Trivial Pursuit game," she started to say. "One I think we can all feel smart playing."

"What's that?" Esther asked.

"The Harry Potter edition."

Jack was the first to start scooping the bits and pieces of the original game up from the table and stacking it into the box as soon as Aster retrieved it. Esther and Thia left the room, one to collect the new game, and the other to bring back a new round of drinks for the four of them. The next few hours were already looking more promising.

* * *

Later on in the morning while the younger adults in the castle had hidden away to wrap the presents they had bought, the grandparents and great-grandparents were sitting around the round table in the larger kitchen with the five younglings. While they got to make cookies with their Aunt Ithilwen, they still wanted to do fun Christmas decorating with all of their grandparents.

"Don't eat the icing, Adar!" Morwen admonished her father. "Or the cookie part!" She had caught him eyeing the premade cookies that lay on the table among the bags of icing and various decorations.

Celeborn looked put out. "You told me that the purpose of a gingerbread house was to eat it."

"You're supposed to put it together first!"

Miraear reached across the table to pick up a bag of spice drops to bring closer to Melui, who wanted to make a gumdrop fence along her gingerbread house. In their run to the store the day before, Erestor and Lindir had returned with a number of gingerbread house kits and even more decorations than were required. If they weren't used or eaten with this activity, Erestor was certain that Ithilwen could find a use for them.

"You use the icing to hold the house up, Great-grandpa," Baineth said matter-of-factly. She was sitting between him and Thranduil with a smaller bag of icing, demonstrating how to trace the edge of the house sides. When she finished she looked up to them. "Can you hold these together for me? I need to use the bathroom."

She didn't give them a chance to decline before taking off and running out of the kitchen. Haldir watched and snickered as the two that normally antagonized each other had to work together for once. They both loved their grandchildren dearly, and didn't want to disappoint them. They also knew that they would never hear the end of it from Baineth if they let her work crumble on the table. Literally.

"Don't think we don't hear you," Thranduil warned the marchwarden. "One day you will be in this position."

"To be fair I happen to like my son-in-law and get on with him better than you two do."

"To be fair," Celeborn mocked Haldir's haughty tone, "Thranduil is technically not my son-in-law. So that does not apply to us."

"I'm as good as!"

Galadriel laughed at the sour look on her husbands' face and the appalled one on Thranduil's. Their family was not so typical in its manner of labels. When her grandchildren had begun to marry off, those in-laws were considered her grandchildren as well. The unique case was Glorfindel's marriage to Silima, who had no real connection to the family, aside from marrying a friend of the family. That didn't stop her from making the elleth feel as included as the other ellith and ellon who were actually in-laws. This teasing between Celeborn and Thranduil was just like that. "Do not mind him," she told the younglings sitting around her, "Thinking of Thranduil as Celeborn's son only makes him feel older than he really is."

"I wouldn't consider either of the two to be older than the other," Elrond chose to comment. The house that Celebrian and him were working on now had its roof attached, and he held the sides in place as she added extra icing underneath to reinforce it.

Morwen leaned sideways to look at her sister's work. "That's going to be a really sweet gingerbread house, and I don't mean that as a compliment."

"It's going to have puffy rain gutters!"

"Gutters run along the edge of the roof, not underneath it!"

"Look, you do your rain gutters your way and we'll do ours our way!" Another argument was on the rise, and this time it involved siblings. "Haldir, tell your wife to keep to her house."

"Oh no. I'm not getting into the middle of this fight," he said. "I can't even keep you people out of our house in Valinor! What makes you think I can tell her no now?"

"Because you'd be the best big brother ever?"

Thranduil cleared his throat. "I thought _I_ was your big brother?"

Elrond's hand covered his face in exasperation as another one jumped into it. Celebrian didn't seem fazed. "You've got the 'big' part right. You're taller than Haldir is."

"I take offense to that!" Haldir stated.

"So do I!" Thranduil looked miffed. "Do you really believe that a youngling would have experience to run a kingdom like Greenwood?"

"Your adar ran amok during a war and got himself killed. You didn't have a choice in that, melleth."

Her mate shook his head. "Details aren't important. What's important here is that you recognize that I'm the oldest, Celebrian."

"I'm sorry but Haldir is the oldest-"

Celeborn, instead of getting into the middle of it this time, decided to settle the argument. "Both Haldir and Thranduil are roughly the same age. If I remember correctly, there was only a few centuries difference between you. Now say your age Thranduil, so that we can end this petty argument."

There was silence from his seat until Innion called to him. "How old are you, Grandpa?" All of the adults looked to be the same age to the children, but there were some times where they would become silent and the whole look would change. It was rare, but in these moments it was easy for the youngest in the family to understand that the adult figures in their life had experienced much from the world. They were just really, really good at hiding it.

Finally, Thranduil did speak. He looked around the table at the expectant answers and shrugged. "The hell if I can remember."

"What?!" Haldir sputtered. "Then what was that tirade about wanting to be the oldest?!"

"By right I should be. I was king, after all. You were just a marchwarden."

Instead of snarling about pulling rank, Haldir silently reminded himself that it was Christmas. In place of saying anything, he deftly picked up and threw a piece of sugared candy at the open neckline of Thranduil's shirt. Its aim was true, sinking into the open gap and making the ellon cry out in protest. It was more satisfying than arguing, he felt.

"You suck," Thranduil said through gritted teeth. He was trying to get the candy out of his shirt by pulling it forward and shaking it down. "That had loose sugar on it!"

"Well it was the king's decision to become proficient with swords instead of bows," Haldir grinned evilly. "It's hard to aim a sword and throw it. But after all, I'm just a marchwarden. So what do I know?"

* * *

Ithilwen had finished wrapping her presents earlier than expected, and made the stupid mistake of trying to bring them all down at once. It might have worked if she hadn't been coming down the stairs with at least a dozen boxes in her arms. 'This is one of my dumbest ideas yet,' she thought, nearly missing a step once again. 'Most people would probably say it was packing up and flying overseas to live in a castle with someone I've only talked to online. Then again, I am married to that someone.'

All of the presents were to be set around the tree in the living room, which meant that Ithilwen had to blindly cut through the foyer and hope she entered the right room based on memory. There was no sound to help her out; all the younglings were still with the grandparents, and she could hear them arguing from the kitchen about gutters. Frustrated, she turned slowly, looking around the box that was at eye level to check the room. When she saw the familiar big tree at the far end of the room, she let out a sigh of relief and prayed that there weren't any Micro Machine cars on the floor to trip on.

She had learned the day she went shopping with her cousins that the household had a tradition of each person using a different pattern of wrapping paper with gifts. It saved on having to write "from so-and-so" on each one. This year, Ithilwen had picked out a classic red tartan pattern to wrap her gifts with. It might have been cliche considering where she was, but she didn't want to wrap her parents' gifts in Olaf wrapping paper. 'Not to mention I hate that movie,' she thought, setting her pile underneath the tree. 'And this just looks nicer anyway.'

"Oh shoot! I thought I would have been first this year!"

Ithilwen turned to see a stack of presents in the doorway of the living room, and just the tiniest bit of Silima looking around at her. "I just got in here myself," she said, standing up to relieve her cousin of the teetering pile. "The stairs nearly did me in twice."

"I know that feeling. I got lucky this time, especially since some of the things are breakable." Silima joined Ithilwen down at the foot of the tree and began to stack her presents beside the tartan-wrapped ones. "I'm glad you went with that paper. It's pretty."

"It's not corny?" Ithilwen asked worriedly, getting back on her knees to slide the remaining presents under the tree.

"Nah. It's traditional. Everyone always wants to buy the commercial stuff now. Though I should warn you, Elladan bought the Olaf roll. So those are from him."

Ithilwen looked horrified. "What's his parents going to say when they see that?!"

Silima laughed. "Probably, 'What in the devil is this thing and why does it look as if it has been mangled by an Orc blade?' My Elrond impression isn't the best, but you get the idea." She finished putting the presents away, but she didn't get up from the floor just yet. "The kids still in the kitchen?"

"Think so. I heard some kind of fight about rain gutters on the way in here."

"Good, cause we need to have a girl talk. Come on." Silima reached out and grabbed Ithilwen's hand, pulling them both up and leading her out of the living room. As she walked down the hall with Ithilwen in tow, she tried to explain quietly so as not to be overheard. "Since we found out that you remember everything this morning, there's something we've wanted to talk to you about. But...we don't want Legolas to overhear or find you before we get the chance, so we're going up to Fiona's room to talk."

"This isn't about how I didn't say anything outright over breakfast, is it?"

"Oh no. No, that's no big thing. We get that you wanted to process it all before saying anything." As they went upstairs, Silima made a right turn, tugging Ithilwen down a hallway she hadn't been in often. "Here's Fi and Elladan's room-" She paused to knock on the door. "-Hey Fi! You decent?"

There was a muffled shout from further in the room, and Silima had taken it as the go-ahead to come in. Ithilwen tried not to look nosy as she came into the room, but she couldn't help herself. As her memories of Valinor came to the forefront of her mind, she recalled that Fiona's tastes hadn't changed much in this day; they were just more modern. There was also a slew of children's toys and clothes in piles around the room. Some looked dirty and some were folded neatly into another basket. All in all, it looked like the bedroom of two parents.

Fiona came from an adjoining room seconds after the door was shut. "Sorry, I had to pee," she grinned. "The others should be along here in a minute. Did you two finish wrapping already?"

"Ithilwen beat me to the tree this year," Silima said.

"I didn't realize it was a race!"

"It's not," Fiona assured her. "We just do it as a way of timing ourselves for our personal best. I got all of ours wrapped, I was just about to finish the kids' presents. Oh- where's your stocking stuffers? I got the kids names this year and planned to fix them later tonight."

"Mine are in my room," Ithilwen told her. "I can get them after this...girl talk Silima said we needed to have-" She had been about to ask if she had done something wrong when the door to the bedroom opened again, only this time Melda and Tauriel came in. Unlike Ithilwen, they came in the room and made themselves comfortable, throwing themselves across the large bed and mussing the blankets.

Fiona scowled at them. "I had fixed those."

"Yeah well it's not like they won't get tangled up tonight," Tauriel said cheekily.

"Good to see you're here, Ithilwen." Melda smiled at her. "Have they told you why you're here yet?"

Ithilwen shook her head as Fiona said, "Not yet." The strawberry blond turned to face the elleth under scrutiny. "We wanted to talk about you and Legolas."

"This isn't about what I think it is, is it?"

"What do you think it's about?" Fiona asked her.

Ithilwen tried not to scowl, she really did. It was Christmas, but dammit she was getting tired of being asked this! "This is about when I'm going to climb in the bed with my husband. I'm going to tell you all the same thing for the last time: I. Don't. Know."

The ellith around her looked alarmed at the sudden change in her tone. As they exchanged looks between them, Tauriel said, "We didn't realize we had bugged you this much about this, Ithilwen. It wasn't meant to-"

"No," she sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm just irritated with the whole thing, that's all." Ithilwen got up from her seat to walk around. "Believe me this is something I've been hearing in my head far more often than you all have brought it up. I got my memories back last night - finally - so I should be happy, right? But all I can think about is the 'what now?' part of things. What do I do now? Do I jump back into where Legolas and I left off? Do I wait? If I wait, will he take it the wrong way? If I don't, is he going to assume that I'm just trying to please him? See, _this_ is what's been going on in my head."

"And having your entire family hound you about your sex life doesn't make things any better," Silima mused. "We're sorry, Ithilwen. We only want you both to be back to where you were, that's all."

"I appreciate your concern, Silima." Ithilwen stopped her pacing, but she didn't sit back down. "If you lot have been tailing me over this I can only imagine what you've done to Legolas." At this mention, all four ellith exchanged more nervous glances. She didn't miss the odd look and had to ask.

Tauriel spoke. "Where my brother is concerned... Ithilwen you need to understand that he has been without you for a long time. When we learned that you were coming here for the holidays, Naneth and I had to have a long talk with him before the plane landed. We had to make sure that he wouldn't try and push you into something. Not that Legolas would, of course," she quickly interjected, "We weren't certain then. It was in both of your best interests to not rush things, because we couldn't fathom when you would remember everything. It wouldn't have been fair to bed your partner without any previous memories of your life together, intimate or not."

"So, what you're saying is, you told your brother to keep it in his pants?"

"Pretty much," Tauriel grinned at Ithilwen. "How's that worked so far?"

"Aside from some dirty comments, good. He keeps telling me that there's no rush; he even told me again this morning." Ithilwen sat back down and put her face in her hands, making a muffled sigh as she did. "If there's no rush, then why am I racked with guilt?"

"I don't think that's guilt," Melda pointed out. "That's the love you feel for Legolas. Your heart aches to be near him, but your logical sense is still wary. We're all new to you, even if you remember us now."

"Then how do I deal with this? Any of this?"

"Simple," Fiona said, "You make the calls. When you feel _ready_ -ready, then you'll know. For now, take baby steps. Like you two were courting all over again, only this time around you're already married, so you could do the 'sex-after-three-dates thing' those mortals do if you wanted."

The talk shifted to other things, leading up to the four ellith returning to their rooms to collect the stocking stuffers for the younglings. The discussion wasn't ground breaking for Ithilwen, but she did gain some peace of mind from it. At the very least, her cousins were only trying to be helpful, even if she thought it weird that her family was tracking her sex life. 'I keep forgetting we're a very...openly talkative group,' she had thought. Details were kept private, thankfully, but it was kind of sweet to know how concerned everyone was about her relationship. Elves may not have divorce as an option, but they could still live separately, and that was something that scared Ithilwen. She didn't like the idea of being away from Legolas just to go back to college, and this was more extreme. She wanted things to return to what they were, but she also didn't want to wait around for it to happen either and risk losing Legolas.

* * *

"You can do this," Ithilwen told her reflection as she stood in her bedroom. The elleth before her didn't look like herself in the lacy lingerie, and the awkwardness of her posture showed that she wasn't used to wearing such garments. "I can do this," she said again with more determination, turning away.

The talk from earlier that day had fueled her to at least do _something_ for Legolas before she went back to California. She needed to push herself into putting on the nightie that had been bought at Tauriel's persistence the day they had gone dress shopping. Even if she just slept in the bed beside him in these things, she wanted to show him that she was trying at least. Ithilwen's steps through her room lifted her confidence, and she chose not to take the dressing gown she had considered wearing over the nightie. She wasn't feeling the cold as much anymore, but the idea had been to surprise Legolas. Then she realized that just appearing at his bedside in what she had on would be surprise enough, so she left it laying at the foot of her bed.

She made it through the door to the secret hallway and was feet away from the door when she felt herself slowing down. No matter how hard she tried, she felt herself closing up even as she touched the doorknob. "I can do this," she whispered to herself, though it was coming out shaky now. The hand that was grasping the doorknob slipped away.

"I...I can't do this."

"What a crock of horse shit," a voice said from behind her. "What has this new world done to make me such a weakling?"

Ithilwen straightened up quickly and turned on her heel, finding that voice familiar but not. She didn't expect to turn to face a carbon copy of herself in the hallway, frowning at her for her cowardice. "Are you...?"

"I am you," the elleth said. "I am the original you, and you are dreaming."

"There's no way this is a dream," Ithilwen insisted. "I'm just going crazy."

The elleth snorted and moved past her. She opened the door that Ithilwen wouldn't and turned back to her. "I would not be surprised to find you had, however this is a dream. If you do not believe me then I suggest you go in this room."

"Like this?!"

"You intended to earlier, yet you backed out. Why? The ellon in this room is your husband, your mate. You pledged yourself to him, gave yourself to him, have supported him. Why do you fear allowing him to see you in such a manner of dress?"

Ithilwen tried to form an argument and could only inflate her cheeks out of frustration. Old-Ithilwen was right, as much as she hated to admit it. "Because...I'm a coward," she said instead of an excuse. There was no excuse for her actions. "I'm not like you, and I'm scared that Legolas is going to walk away from me because of that."

"You truly believe that he would part from you?" Old-Ithilwen could only look on at her reincarnation with skepticism. She moved away from the door and came to stand behind Ithilwen. Placing both hands on her shoulders, she shoved the elleth forward, forcing her through the door and into Legolas' bedroom. She ignored the squeak from Ithilwen as she closed the door, only turning back to shove her towards the bedside where Legolas lay. "Does this look to be the face of an ellon that would forsake his vows in lieu of poor self-confidence?"

"W- well...I don't know!" Ithilwen whispered harshly. Even though it was a dream she still had the feeling that she could wake him up, and she was finding it hard enough to acknowledge she was talking to her past self without having to explain it. She turned her head to look up at her other self, finding a hardened look of annoyance that wasn't going away. "I guess not?" she tried again.

Old-Ithilwen's frown deepened. "You guess," she restated. She had to look away from the newer form for a second to collect herself. When she turned back she said, "The Valar have given me a task far greater than I expected this night."

"The Valar? I thought this was a dream?"

"It is. I am a portion of your memories brought forth by my master, Lorien. I am but an attendant under his reign, and he has asked me to help you bring yourself back together."

"So you aren't me? You're somebody else that's taken on my appearance?"

The servant nodded. "That is correct, though I normally do not have to reveal this information to the one I am sent to guide. If it will please you and ease your mind, you may refer to me as Athae."

Ithilwen remained silent, but she nodded slightly to show that she understood. "Why did...Lorien...send you to help me?"

"You were sent to the Halls of Mandos months prior, and while he said that he would not be able to contact you past that point in time, he neglected to mention that his younger brother could hear the dreams and wishes of Eru's children." Athae smiled slightly for the first time that night. "My lord Lorien sent me under the appearance of your previous self to help you realize that you are more than you belive yourself to be. Your memories have been returned to you, but you still do not understand the impact that you have had on your husband. This was evident when you told me that you fear his abandonment of you."

"And just to be clear, since it's almost Christmas and all- there aren't going to be two more of you that are going to come visit me tonight?" At the look of confusion on Athae's face, she briefly mentioned the ghosts of Christmas Present and Future.

Athae laughed. "I assure you that will not be the case. There is only myself. Now come Child," the attendant held out their hand for her to take. "I will show you this night why your fears are for naught."

Ithilwen felt weird taking the hand of someone who looked like herself while she was still wearing the nightie, but she didn't have a choice. 'It figures that I opt out of taking the robe, and a spirit shows up to take me on a journey,' she thought. 'Even if it is a damn dream.'

The instant she placed her hand in Athae's, the environment changed from Legolas' bedroom to a place Ithilwen had only recently seen in dreams. The warm colors of the bedroom changed to the plain and sparsely decorated walls of a room that resembled a hospital. There was even the slight smell of sterilization that lingered, but there was a more overpowering scent that assaulted her nose.

Death was approaching.

Ithilwen had a feeling of dread as she turned on the spot to find the bed situated at the far wall. She had already relived this experience once, and now Athae was making her watch herself die again. If her memory served her correctly, the attendant of Lorien had brought her to the moments after Legolas had been informed that it was only a matter of time. "Why did you do this?" she turned back to Athae. "What is the purpose in this, other than bringing more guilt on me?"

"You need to watch, Child." Athae would give no further comment, moving to the opposite side of the room to give the elleth space.

She stood there, still scowling at herself, as Athae did not change forms, before she turned back to the bed. Ithilwen felt her heart ache as she heard Legolas whispering to her broken body on the bed, holding her hand in one of his while the other stroked her cheek. She moved closer, perching on the edge of the bed in a position so that she could see his face.

"You need to come back to me, melleth-nin," Legolas murmured. Tears were in his eyes as he spoke, and his voice had begun to crack. "Please do not leave me alone in this world. I could not bear being without you."

Ithilwen knew that since this was a dream, she couldn't be heard, but she still talked to him anyway. "You aren't alone. Our family is here; they won't let you feel alone-" She paused as she felt a shiver pass over her. It was ominous, and though she couldn't check for a pulse, she had known when the soul had left her body.

And Legolas had realized it too.

"Ithilwen?" His voice sounded lost. "Ithilwen? Ith- Ithilwen...no, Ithilwen!" The tears that were in his eyes had begun to fall as Legolas's mind began to process that his wife had died. "No! No, no, no!" he pleaded to her lifeless form. "Ithilwen! Melleth! Please come back to me!"

The sounds that Legolas made over her body had Ithilwen in tears, and she sobbed alongside him as he grieved. The difference between the memory and now was that the memory had neglected to show what happened after. She didn't see Legolas crumble into himself as he wailed in the room. She didn't see her parents and his parents try to console him, or to get him to leave her side so that the healers could tend to her body for the funeral. These are things that one expects when a death occurs, but nobody had told Ithilwen about what really happened after.

She didn't hear Athae come up behind her as she sat alone in the room. The few healers that were in the room had left shortly after Legolas had been escorted out. Ithilwen sat there on the bed, looking over her old body as it grew colder. "How could I have been so stupid?" she asked herself. "I thought I was tough enough to control a wild horse in a thunderstorm."

"You saved a child's life that day," Athae reminded her. "Had you not been there, the youngling would have been trampled. He has been given the chance to grow because of your selfless act."

"I left Legolas behind-"

"Only for a while. You would have been reborn in time. However, the events of that day were what convinced Lord Manwe to spare you both that wait."

Ithilwen finally turned and looked at Athae. "I got reborn in this world! I had no memories of this life! How is that cutting down on wait time?!"

It was Athae's turn to look annoyed again. "The mortals have tainted your patience with their advancements. It is all about instant results now." She sighed. "Do you not recall the phrase, 'The best things are worth waiting for'?"

"Well if you hadn't noticed yet, in the modern world, if the results aren't instant people move on to something else."

"Enough." Athae reached down and took Ithilwen by the arm. "There is nothing more to see here, and I grow tired of hearing you whine about the same nonsensical drivel."

"Drivel?! Now wait just a damn minute-"

Before Ithilwen could finish her sentence, the environment changed once again. Instead of seeing herself laying motionless in the bed, the walls dissolved into an open field with rolling hills. Ithilwen was still pissed at Athae for the comments, but she held her tongue for the time being while she walked around the area.

"I know you will ask," Athae said in a flat tone, "We are still in Valinor. There is something here you should see before we continue."

"Continue? Hello? Did you forget that I'm running around in a nightie?"

Apparently, Athae was in the mood to mock. "Hello? Yes, I recall. Have you forgotten that no one can see you but myself?" The attendant didn't wait for a response, turning and walking downhill. "Follow me, Child."

'I know she's probably older than the moon, but I'm getting really sick of being called Child.' Ithilwen followed Athae regardless, still seething over the previous comments. The area was beautiful, she had to admit, but she couldn't figure out why Athae was so determined to show her this. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

The attendant said nothing when she stopped ahead of Ithilwen, pointing ahead. "That structure that rests at the crest of that hill."

Ithilwen jogged to meet Athae's steps, who had begin to walk again. Her eyesight may have been more advanced than it had at the start of the year, but she found herself squinting out of habit to see the building on the hill. It was made of dark stone, and from where she stood the size was rather large. The closer they came to that particular hill, the more Ithilwen's suspicions began to rise. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked as they reached the first steps that were laid into the hillside.

"And what do you believe this to be?"

The carvings on the outer walls were archaic and foreign to her, but Ithilwen didn't need a translation as she reached the entrance. "This is a tomb," she whispered. She knew that it was only under rare circumstances that elves passed on, and this mausoleum was far too new for such an old place. "Who...who built this?"

"The dwarf Gimli, son of Gloin built this with the assistance of your husband." Athae approached the entryway and placed a hand on the door. She pressed against it, expecting it to open, but it would not yield. "I had planned to show you inside the building, but it is apparent that the door is designed for special entry only. You are aware that the son of Gloin now resides with the spirits of his kin, correct?"

"Yeah." That was an unpleasant night's sleep. "They're all gone."

Athae nodded. "Gimli foresaw that one day a final resting place would be required of his person, as with the three halflings. Thus, he designed this mausoleum in preparation of that time. With Legolas' assistance, it was built over many years. And now, your body rests within this sanctuary, Ithilwen."

"W-wait. You mean to tell me...that my old body is in this thing?"

"Precisely. What other way could there be?"

"But I'm here! How can my body be in there if I'm alive!" Ithilwen's logical part of her mind refused to function in that moment, or she would have realized the stupidity in the question. When she paused it began to sink in, and she felt foolish. 'Of course it can be possible,' she told herself. 'My original body is laying somewhere behind this door. It's the soul that doesn't die.' "You know what, forget I said anything. So Legolas laid me to rest in there with Gimli and the others. If this was all you wanted to show me here, why didn't you just tell me instead?"

"Would you have believed me? You are the one that is worrying about your husband abandoning you if you do not offer yourself. You tell me."

Ithilwen stood there across from Athae, worrying her hands. The attendant had backed her into a corner now. "No," she sighed, "I wouldn't have bought into it. Not with that on my mind." How could she be sure this spectral being, disguised as herself, wasn't just a strict teacher from the otherworld? Athae fit the persona of that teacher that would always make the student stand up before the class to talk out their answers. It never went well, it was always embarrassing, and it stuck with you.

"You are learning then. Good." Athae took Ithilwen's wrist again and said, "There is but one more event I wish to show you."

The mausoleum faded away, and in minutes Ithilwen stood with the attendant in what looked like a home. It was a nice looking home, judging from the intricately woven tapestries on the walls, the beautiful vases on tables, and the bustling of servants through the halls. Athae remained silent as she kept a firm grip of Ithilwen's wrist, almost as if she expected the elleth to go wandering. It was partly true of course; Ithilwen was curious about her surroundings, but the further down the hallway she went, the quicker her memories answered her questions.

"This is my parents house. That's Nana's favorite vase that she commissioned in Minas Tirith. And that's some of Ada's longbows; I remember he had a few for different occasions. Athae, why are we in my parent's house? I thought this was to do with Legolas?"

Athae didn't speak until she came to stand in one particular doorway. "It is," she said, pulling Ithilwen next to her.

Ithilwen was about to ask another question, but then she took in the room she was now facing. It was a dining room, of decent size with a lengthy table and many chairs that took up much of the space. At the far end sat a few elves. Plates were set about to suggest that it was late afternoon. Ithilwen recognized her parents, and Legolas' parents...but she couldn't place a name to the elf that sat between her naneth and Miraear.

"Go closer," Athae nudged. Or rather, she shoved Ithilwen forward, as if the elleth were still worried about her state of dress.

Stumbling and recovering, Ithilwen turned quickly to glare at Athae again before approaching the table. The faces of the ellith at the table looked tired, almost exhausted. She knew that elves didn't require much sleep and wouldn't tire as easily as a human, but something had taken its toll on them. Then she realized. "This is after I died, isn't it?" she asked, not turning around.

"Yes. Approximately one month."

Ithilwen found herself settling into the seat across from the unidentifiable elf at the table. She couldn't tell from the posture if it was an ellon or elleth, but they looked rough. Long blond hair hung loose, hands that sat clenched on the table looked like they had seen better days, which made her wonder if this elf had been in some kind of fight recently.

"You need to eat, ion-nin," Miraear whispered into the unknown elf's ear, and it was that moment when Ithilwen shrieked.

"No! Hell no! Athae, tell me this is not Legolas!"

"I am afraid that it is, Child. Your passing had taken a toll on his well being. In a month's time many interests he once held no longer entertained him. Even early on it was difficult to make him eat anything. Your parents and his worried that he would be following you shortly."

The elleth hunched down across the table, trying to get a better look at Legolas' face. She could see some tiredness, but it wasn't until he looked up at his naneth that she could see the real damage. Dark circles hung under his eyes, his cheeks were shallow...but the eyes themselves had to be the worst. Legolas looked so lost and sad that Ithilwen felt her heart ache. It appeared that no amount of consoling from their large family had been enough to bring him out of his depression.

"I wanted you to see your husband as he was after your death, Ithilwen." Athae was standing directly behind her chair now; she hadn't made a noise coming over. "You needed to see what happened to him, and why your fears are meaningless. Legolas was ready to join you in the Halls of Mandos, and if you had not sent word by way of Mithrandir, it is likely that he would have within the next month."

Ithilwen swallowed as she saw the scenery change again. This time, she was happy to find that she was back in her bedroom. She couldn't bear to look at Legolas in that kind of shape and not be able to help him. Athae was still there in the room, watching her.

"What will you do now, Child?"

"I honestly don't know anymore," the elleth shrugged. "I want to be with Legolas, but I'm scared. Will this me ever be enough?"

Athae crossed the room in a rush and pushed Ithilwen against the wall she stood beside. The attendant was through. "I have had enough of your petty whining!" she hissed, still looking like the elleth. "After everything that you have seen, everything that I have told you, you still worry?! Do you have any idea the opportunity that you have been granted with being reembodied?! How many souls must wait to be reborn, and you were one of the few to be brought ahead of the rest?! You have been given a chance many in the Halls of Waiting will not get for centuries, if they are fortunate!"

"Well maybe Mandos should have been more thorough in his selection-"

"SHUT IT!" Athae's voice had risen considerably, and Ithilwen had flinched at the tone. "I have been patient enough this night, listening to you fret over such ludicrous situations. I was brought here to show you what happened after your death, and I did. You have chosen, instead of learning from the experience, to wallow in it. If anything I have said up to this point has not made itself clear, then perhaps I should speak as a modern mortal: Wake the fuck up already!"

Turning Ithilwen loose, Athae stepped back and walked around the room to collect herself. For Ithilwen, the preceding moments were rather bizarre; a very ill-sounding version of herself had basically told her to get over herself and stop being a baby. Athae was seething still. "You don't get out to do this much, do you?" she asked finally.

"No," Athae stopped moving, sounding calmer. Ithilwen didn't trust it to be true. "No, it is not that. It is more that I have rarely been tasked with a charge that is as stubborn as you."

"Oh...sorry about that..."

"It is of no consequence. I was sent to show you these moments, and I have. My task is done." Athae walked back to Ithilwen, who seemed to tense at the approach. "What comes next is your decision, Child, and I hope that you follow what your heart tells you."

* * *

Ithilwen sat up in bed, looking around for the clone-but-not-clone of herself, half expecting to be reprimanded again. The room was empty, save for herself. She was back in her bedroom, in her bed, and _not_ wearing that lacy lingerie. 'Oh thank god,' she thought, pulling her knees up. 'If I was wearing that damn nightie I'd lose my shit.'

Everything she had experienced with Athae had been a dream, just like the time she spoke with Mandos. Before everything got crazy and weird. But what was crazy about her life now? She knew who she was at long last, she has family, and a purpose that didn't involve waiting tables.

'What exactly is my purpose?' she wondered. 'Where do I stand with my family now? I'm still my parent's daughter, an aunt to my cousin's kids. I have in-laws and a husband...' "...that was willing to die so he could stay with me." Ithilwen finally realized what Athae had been trying to tell her. "Legolas would give up everything because it wasn't worth anything to him if I wasn't there. Legolas _did_ give up his life in Valinor and got on a boat to come back here to look for me- oh god."

This was a lot to swallow. The more she thought about it, the more astounded she felt. Ithilwen had known these things, because Legolas and the others had told her. What they failed to help her see were the little things that Athae had shown her. He packed up, sailed back to Arda, and spent centuries crafting false identities among the mortals to avoid suspicion, just to find her. The castle, the company, all of it was built with the intended purpose of finding her.

'I've been selfish,' she told herself. 'Where I've been worried about if Legolas wanted me to sleep with him immediately, he's been holding all of this in. He never intended to tell me about how his health went south. He never intended to talk about the hell they all went through trying to survive here.'

Ithilwen climbed out of bed and headed to the door. Her mind was buzzing with all of these thoughts, and there was only one place she could be in that moment. This time, when she reached the opposite end of the secret hallway, she didn't hesitate in opening the door.

Legolas laid in bed, much as he had in her dream. Instead of standing on his side to watch him, Ithilwen pulled back the covers just enough to slip under them. She scooted in close to his back, wrapping her arms around his waist. Legolas stirred just enough to feel her touch. "Everything alright, melleth?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she replied, "I just couldn't sleep alone tonight. That's all."

He grunted in response, turning and wrapping his arms around her to hold her close as he fell back asleep. Ithilwen moved closer to Legolas and sighed. 'I really am being stupid. How could I possibly think the worst of someone who has done what Legolas has?' She would figure it all out in the morning. Right now, she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. In her soft green flannel pajamas.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The M-rating comes into use in this chapter! If you don't feel comfortable reading that part, skip down to the first line break.

Ithilwen woke up the next morning facing the opposite direction she had fallen asleep in. Instead of being tucked in under Legolas' chin, as he was want to do in his sleep, she felt his chest slowly rise and fall against her back as his breath tickled her neck. The night's dream had been an eye-opener if she ever needed one, and from the way that that Athae had gotten onto her, Ithilwen had been in desperate need. It was still early in the morning, too early to expect anyone else to be up, but she couldn't go back to sleep. There was simply too much on her mind to allow her that luxury.

'Athae was right,' Ithilwen thought to herself. 'I've been incredibly stupid about all of this.'

" _You make the calls. When you feel ready-ready, then you'll know._ _"_

The elleth shifted, feeling the arm she was laying on go numb. 'For that matter, Fiona was right too. The thing is, I know what I want to do now. How do I go about telling Legolas that?' Laying in the bed wasn't solving the problem, and the longer she laid there the longer another problem began to present itself - she had to pee.

Ithilwen moved slowly as she pushed the covers back to slide out of Legolas' grasp and out of the bed without stirring him. She walked back to her bedroom to use the bathroom, paranoid that her relieving herself would wake him up. But once her bladder had been calmed, she was still facing her original problem. 'Maybe I should just be blunt about it?' She looked around the room, rubbing her arms out of habit and reaching for her bathrobe. It wasn't that she was cold anymore, but it did strike her with an idea.

In Legolas' bedroom, the prince had begun to stir when she opened the door to the hidden hallway again. "Ithilwen?" he called out to her, "Where did you go?"

She didn't say anything right off, and the stiff way she held herself caught his attention as she shut the door and came back to the bed. He expected her to get back in bed with him, but she walked around to his side. "I woke up and had to use the bathroom."

Legolas looked at her, blinking a few times. "There's a bathroom in here..."

"What I meant was, I had to go in my room to get something too. It's something I've been wanting to show you since I got it. I uh...I wanted your opinion." Ithilwen's words began to jumble together as she reached for the tie around her waist. Her fingers were just as bad, stumbling over each other as she attempted to loosen the knot. Once it was loosened, she kept the robe closed as she watched Legolas for his reaction. "What do you think of this?"

Before Legolas could ask what she meant, Ithilwen had opened the robe and let it slip from her shoulders to fall on the floor. He could only sit in bed, watching her with a stunned expression. The lingerie that his mate was wearing was dark blue with a black lace that trimmed the bottom edge of the babydoll and its matching panties. The blue was just sheer enough to see her skin, but it was still modest enough that it suited her. "That's...uh...w-...wh-"

"D-do you like it?" Ithilwen may have been covered, but she still felt self-conscious. Traipsing around in an ellon's bedroom in what she had on wasn't something she did. And now Legolas was looking at her as if she had slaughtered a pig in the room. At least that was how she was interpreting the look; her memories may have been back but she had yet to get back into the swing of judging his expressions.

"Do you even have to ask?" Legolas' voice came out sounding a little hoarse, like he had forgotten how to speak. Ithilwen had crawled into bed with him last night in soft flannel pajamas, but now she was wearing something he might have dreamt up on a particularly lonely night. He was already feeling the effects of that lingerie under the covers, and he tried not to let it show. For all Legolas knew, Ithilwen probably wasn't going to suggest what he hoped she would.

Ithilwen's cheeks warmed and she looked down at her feet awkwardly. This was not going as well as she had hoped, but she had to press on. "Well...you know...I was wondering...what...um..." She swallowed and brought her gaze back up to meet his. "...what would you think of this...on the floor?"

"I..." Did he hear her right? "Ithilwen, are you...are you saying-?" Dare he be hopeful?

When Ithilwen stepped closer to the bed, only inches away from the edge, Legolas knew the answer. "I don't want to wait any longer for something I've been missing for so long," she said quickly. "These last few days, I've come to understand just how badly I've missed you. That is...if you'll have me?"

Legolas reached out and took Ithilwen by the hands, leading her into the bed to sit across his lap. Sure, that meant his secret was out, but he didn't care. His hands moved up to cup her once again heated cheeks. "Now _that_ is a question that does not have to be asked." He smiled as she did. "Are you certain, love?"

"More than you probably know," Ithilwen whispered, leaning forward to kiss him. He kissed her slowly at first, and she was thankful for that. Her mind may have been made up, but she couldn't deny that she wasn't still nervous. It had been a long time for both of them, and she just hoped that she didn't do something to mess it up.

His hands moved slowly up her sides, leaving a tingling path in their wake against her skin. Ithilwen had been running her hands along his chest when she felt him cup her bottom, and Legolas took the opportunity to deepen the kiss when she gasped. Those hands slid around to grip her hips, trying with all their might to bring her as close to him as possible. He grunted in disapproval, pulling back from their kiss to frown. "This isn't going to work."

"What isn't?" Ithilwen's mind was fuzzy and she didn't realize he wasn't looking her in the eye.

"These," he said, tugging on the thin strap of her panties. With each tug it brought her mind back to the problem, and as she focused on his ministrations, she almost laughed.

"You know what to do then," she said cheekily. Ithilwen's giggles turned into a squeal as she felt her world shift suddenly. Legolas had turned them over on the bed, pinning her beneath him.

Legolas held himself up as he looked down at her. Ithilwen's lips were swollen from their kissing, her cheeks were flushed, and to him, she was the only other person in the world. "Ithilwen," he called to her softly. "I have waited so long to be like this with you again. So I need to know, is this truly what you want this morning?"

Ithilwen's brows furrowed in worry. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"By the Valar no!" he said quickly. "I'm trying to say that...I don't know if I could stop myself quick enough if you changed your mind. I don't want you to do this if you aren't ready, melleth; there's more to our marriage than this."

'He's worried about me.' "Legolas," Ithilwen ran a hand up his arm, over his shoulder, and traced his jawline. "I know that, but I also know I want this. I want you. I want us to be us again."

Legolas lowered himself slightly to pepper kisses along her neck. "I understand, but if you want me to stop, I will-"

"-Just pry you off with a crowbar if words don't work-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as he nipped the skin just beneath her ear lobe. The sensation was new, but she quickly decided that the liked it. As Legolas moved from her neck down her chest, Ithilwen sat up just enough to allow him to pull the babydoll over her head in one motion. It had flown somewhere across the room, and she would worry about where it landed later. There were more important things to focus on, such as Legolas' lips as he kissed his way across her newly-exposed chest. As he kissed one breast, his free hand would caress its twin. Ithilwen arched up into his touch, letting out soft noises of pleasure as he touched her. He would handle them gently, far more carefully than she would have expected.

When she began to squirm, Legolas moved down the valley where her breasts met to kiss her stomach, grinning when the squirming increased. It was a small spot just below her navel, and he didn't discover this about his mate immediately after the wedding, but she was extremely ticklish there. Feeling devious, Legolas blew gently across that spot as he hovered at her hips. His small grin grew bigger when he caught her staring daggers at him for the act. "Something the matter?"

"You suck."

"Not yet," he replied, snickering at her sigh of annoyance. Legolas made it a point to go even slower removing her panties, just to mess with her. The only downside he could see to this teasing was that it was also delaying his satisfaction, but for the moment he didn't want this private time with Ithilwen to end. As she slowly became exposed before his eyes, Legolas felt his body react. The desire to speed this game up was oh so tempting, but that could wait another time. Right now, he wanted to show her how much he missed her, and if that meant he turned as blue as a Smurf then so be it.

Ithilwen had propped herself up on her elbows to watch Legolas finish undressing her. The slow movements were nothing but sweet torture on her, and she could only imagine what dragging this out was doing to him. As her panties joined the babydoll elsewhere in the room, all she could focus on was Legolas. There was a hunger there in his eyes, but she also saw love and appreciation for her. Ithilwen felt her chest tighten with emotion. Each touch, each kiss - they were all carefully done to show her how much he loved her, but the eyes said more than what he hands could show. She was so caught up in these thoughts that she didn't realize that Legolas had parted her thighs, nor did she anticipate what he did next.

A noise had escaped her lips, but Ithilwen couldn't be sure it was real or a figment of her imagination. All she was certain of was that Legolas had reenacted one part of her memories without warning. Every thought she had - as few as they were - were about how sneaky Legolas was and what she could to do get even. 'Married or not, when you go down there - _oh gods_ \- you're supposed to- to- give them s-some kind of warning! _Oh!_ '

Legolas felt small hands comb through his hair as he kissed one of Ithilwen's most sensitive spots. He heard a small thump against the mattress shortly after, and with a quick glance up he could see that she had given up trying to watch him. Her back was arching with certain touches or kisses against her skin. The noises were heaven to his ears, at least until the moment that Ithilwen's thighs nearly crushed his skull. That was the sign that told Legolas he needed to stop, and as funny as the moment would be to recall later, her thighs had closed on him so quickly that he became slightly dizzy.

To her credit, Ithilwen had no idea she had almost pulled a professional wrestling move on Legolas. Her hands had left his hair to grip the sheets as she felt herself being pushed closer to the edge. She did feel an exhale of air against her thigh, but with her eyes squeezed shut she didn't know that he was trying to break free from her grip. It was the sudden halting of the wonderful torment he was giving her that made her blink in confusion. Ithilwen shakily propped herself up on her elbows again to find Legolas had rocked back on his knees. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

He laughed, moving to crawl over her. "There was nothing wrong about what you did," Legolas said, kissing her gently. "You just stopped me before things finished before I wanted them to."

Ithilwen could taste herself on his lips still, and it amazed her that he would do that without her asking. She had heard - unwillingly, mind - from female coworkers and classmates about being denied something so simple. She had made an attempt to mimic his actions, but as her hand reached his waist, he had intercepted and caught her wrist. She looked up at him, about to ask why she couldn't be allowed to bring him to the same level of pleasure she was at.

"If you do that now, I won't be able to hold back," he whispered to her. The sight of her looking so confused when he stopped her hurt, but he had promised himself years ago that when the time came once again, it would be about her. There would be plenty of times later for him. Preferably when he wasn't a hair's breath away from losing himself. "Next time," he added, hoping that he wasn't disappointing her by telling her no.

When Legolas felt that he could continue, he kissed Ithilwen again, this time with more passion. He hadn't realized just how close he had been until he felt her fingertips ghost his stomach. Settling himself over her, he felt her arms wrap around his neck as he lined himself up with her entrance. Their eyes remained locked on each other as he entered slowly.

What happened next was something that would stick in Legolas' mind for weeks. The familiar feeling of her heat and just how ready she was for him all came flooding back at once. It had clouded his judgment, and as a consequence, he had skipped the slow lead-in and pushed things far quicker than he should have. The soft gasp that came from Ithilwen immediately after that was not of pleasure, but of pain, and it would haunt him. Legolas blinked, feeling a rise of panic at the pained look on his mate's face. A rock had settled itself in his stomach the longer she held that expression. "Ithilwen? Ithilwen, oh please melleth, speak to me!"

Ithilwen had assured herself that this was what she wanted, that she was ready. She knew she was ready, but the sharp pain that followed when Legolas entered in one swift move wasn't something she prepared for. Her face scrunched up in pain as her body tensed, but she would not let herself cry. It wasn't something to cry about anyway; she had hurt herself far worse as a kid when she broke her arm on the jungle gym at school. She could hear Legolas talking to her, asking her to speak to him, but she couldn't. How could she tell her husband that there was a strong possibility that he had taken her virginity a second time?

"I'm...fine," she managed to get out.

"Your face says otherwise," Legolas said. He hadn't moved a millimeter since she gasped; he was afraid to. There had been an inkling of a thought in his mind that became more insistent as he watched her. The more likely this thought seemed to be, the more sick he felt himself get. "You're...you're still..." He couldn't even get the words out. How could he have done something so reckless? He should have expected this, all things considered. "Fuck me, Ithilwen- I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking-"

"It happens," she told him, feeling more sure of herself to speak. The pain had subsided to something of a foreign feeling within her. Ithilwen's hands moved for his neck to cup his face. "I didn't think about it either," she continued, "but it doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"I'll stop," Legolas insisted. He began to move out of her, fully intending on putting an end to this for the time being. Ithilwen's leg wrapping around his hip stalled his movements, directing his attention to focus on something other than the possibility of having hurt her.

"If you move out of me, you'd best go back in," she whispered to him quickly. "I told you that I'm not in pain anymore, so you'd best finish what you started. Or I will."

He swallowed. Valar, she was tempting him! But she had insisted that he keep going, and how could he deny her anything? Legolas steeled himself as he moved again, though much slower than he had before. Beneath him, Ithilwen let out a sigh. Her eyes didn't show anymore signs of discomfort, which he was thankful for. The other leg that came to wrap around his hips encouraged him to keep going, coupled with the moans of pleasure that he had heard earlier.

Ithilwen had a seconds moment of terror that Legolas was going to stop, just because of a little pain. Her 'threat' wasn't far from being true; she would have pinned him down if it came to it. She was glad that it didn't, because she was pretty sure he could overpower her if she had tried. Once her body had adjusted to his size, and the pain left completely, she wanted more than he was giving. She craved him. Her moans would only do so much, but he still wasn't moving as fast as she wanted. So she had hooked her legs around his waist; if that wasn't a sign that she needed him she didn't know what was.

Legolas had been trying to control himself so that he wouldn't hurt her further. Between the legs around his waist, her moans, and just having been without her for so long, his resolve was wearing thin. Add to it the moment when Ithilwen leaned up just slightly to nip his earlobe and whisper "Faster, melleth. I need you", and he was at his breaking point. Gripping her to him tighter, he obliged, and she met him thrust for thrust. He wasn't going to hold out much longer, but neither was she. He just made sure that she crossed that line before he did. When she cried out in release, she had held him to her and within her tighter than he could recall being possible, and he followed her seconds later whether he was ready or not.

The room was silent in the time that followed, save for the pair trying to catch their breath. Legolas lay back against the pillows and pulled Ithilwen into his chest, where she lay her head. "I forgot how intense that was," she said lightly.

"Me too," he replied, making her laugh. His brow furrowed then, and his tone became serious. "Why did you not tell me that you were untouched?"

Ithilwen hummed as she felt his hand trace patterns on her bare shoulder. "I guess I never really thought about it. I never did anything with anyone, and dating was pretty much nonexistent. Something told me even then that they wouldn't have worked out."

"I would have had to kill the bastard that touched you."

"You brought it up, Legolas."

"I brought it up because I hurt you," he said, and she could hear the distress in his voice. "It never once occurred to me that you were- If I had any idea, I would've-"

"Legolas," she turned her head upward to look at him. It was an odd angle and she could almost see up his nose. "It's over and done with. Neither one of us knew, so let's just forget it, okay?"

The grunt that came from him told Ithilwen that he wasn't going to forget it any time soon. Instead of dragging out a pointless argument, he asked her, "Are you sore?"

"A little." Ithilwen pushed herself up on her elbows to look at him better. In a serious tone, she said, "You've ruined me for anyone else, melleth."

Legolas laughed then, pulling her back down to him by the shoulders. "Damn straight. Not that you would have been tempted, anyway. It seems that after years of not being with you like this, I haven't lost my skill."

"Legolas?"

"Mm?"

"You are full of shit."

* * *

"Grandma, how come Uncle Legolas and Aunt Ithilwen aren't down here for breakfast?"

Melui's question garnered raised brows from both Morwen and Miraear. The younglings were about the only ones actually awake that morning, as many of the adults were either still in bed or barely functioning. Of them, Legolas and Ithilwen were some of the earliest risers in the castle, so their lack of presence wasn't hard to miss. The pair exchanged a look. There was a good guess as to _why_ neither was present, but the matter was _how_ they would explain it.

"Well, Melui..." Morwen frowned. Melui understood the basic concept of sex; she had had the "birds and bees" talk a few years ago. Relating that to the adults she knew was either still foreign to her or she simply chose to pretend it didn't happen.

Miraear, luckily, had come up with a solution. "What Morwen's trying to say is that your aunt and uncle are probably still sleeping. Things have been so busy since Ithilwen got here that she's very tired."

"And Legolas has been busy with work," Morwen added quickly. "When you lot are asleep, he's still working."

The little elleth sat at the table, stirring her oatmeal with her spoon as she listened. She took a bite and swallowed. Grownups were weird sometimes. "Uncle Legolas shouldn't have to work," she stated firmly. "It's Christmas eve."

As the child shifted her focus to the bowl before her, Miraear and Morwen looked at each other in relief. It was times like this that they were thankful that Melui had a one-track mind. When Ernil asked for help pouring his juice, Morwen leaned toward Miraear and whispered, "Keep an eye on the younglings for me, and I'll go take breakfast upstairs. I've got a feeling they won't be joining us."

* * *

The knock heard at Legolas' bedroom door was not something either anticipated.

"Should I leave?" Ithilwen whispered quickly, wrapping the sheet around her chest. It's not like they weren't already married, but she didn't want the whole castle to know what took place.

Legolas didn't answer as he sought out his robe and pulled it on. Once he was sure he had it tied securely, he moved to open the door. Not many people in the castle would knock, and even fewer would barge in unannounced. With the time of day, he wondered if something wasn't wrong. However, seeing his mother-in-law on the other side gave him pause just long enough to wonder if something wasn't about to be wrong. "L-Lady Morwen!"

Morwen held her smile, even as he used a formal address with her. "You're old enough to know better by now," she said. "You always slip up when you've done something wrong, or you're hiding something. Now since you _rarel_ _y_ do anything wrong, I can only assume you're hiding something. Something like...my daughter, perhaps?"

She didn't have to lean into the doorway to look around Legolas to know. The low groan of "Oh god" met her ears, and what she knew to be Ithilwen had completely disappeared underneath the blankets to form one large mass. Legolas' expression didn't look much better. It was that look of terror two courting elves that got caught in a compromising position. Not that she would know anything about that, of course.

"I can explain-"

"I'd rather not have the details, Legolas. You are my son-in-law and I want to look you in the eye," Morwen laughed. "As long as you two are both well and happy, that's all I care about. Here," she pulled a small rolling cart into the doorway, "I fixed some plates for you; I didn't figure you'd make an appearance at breakfast today. No one else knows, though your naneth shared my guess. Just don't stay in here all day and you both should be fine."

Ithilwen had been frozen in place when she heard her naneth's voice, but she regained some mobility when she got called out. Diving under the blankets wasn't the most mature action, but she didn't want to streak across the room buck naked either. 'So now my own mother knows we did it,' she thought to herself. She didn't pay much attention to the conversation at the door after that, but the smell of something delicious had her poking her head over the edge. Legolas was just shutting the door, and at his hip stood a rolling cart.

"So the whole castle knows?"

"Only our naneths," Legolas said, pausing at how strange that sounded. "They only guessed because Melui was asking where we were."

"What did they tell her?"

"That we were tired. You from the travel and nonstop movement, and me from work." He pushed the cart next to Ithilwen's side of the bed and sat with her. "You know they'll eventually find out."

"Yeah. Hopefully we'll get Christmas," she mumbled, eyes focused on the cart. "What's that?"

"Breakfast. You think you can eat?"

She snorted. "Does a frog bump his ass when he hops?"

Legolas laughed at her as he began to open containers. Either Morwen assumed they were exhausted, or she couldn't decide on a sensible plate for each of them. Inside the cart contained a generous helping of everything that Erestor had prepared for breakfast that morning. Included with the food were plates and silverware, along with two thermoses filled with coffee and juice. He had been about to ask her what she'd like first - he had intended to fix her plate - but she was already reaching for a piece of bacon as he turned to look at her. "You couldn't wait, could you?"

Ithilwen's only response was to bite into the strip of bacon and look innocently at him.

* * *

Christmas Eve was possibly one of Erestor's busiest times of the year in the kitchen. There was the matter of preparing the large dinner for Christmas day, but as per tradition in the castle, the night before was filled with party-foods that needed to be made as well. This was started after breakfast was cleaned up, and it kept him in the large kitchen most of the day. Between juggling the appetizers for that night and preparing dishes for the larger meal, the scholar had to deal with a lot of traffic coming through his kitchen at the same time. Adults would be "checking on him to see how he was handling everything", but they wanted to snack on what he had just taken out of the oven. The younglings did as well, but they were honest about it. To divert their attention he had taken an extra step in making something for them to steal without damaging the holiday inventory.

This was what he enjoyed. Being an adviser to Lord Elrond had come with its own number of stressors, but sometimes he felt like he was contributing more by cooking. Advice only goes so far when it gets ignored, and apparently so did warnings.

The scent of the cologne was what tipped him off to the intruder in his kitchen. "If you touch that you're going to find out how Maedhros felt."

"Too soon," Glorfindel commented.

"How is that 'too soon'?! That took place eons ago!"

Glorfindel could be heard banging around the island. Erestor couldn't bring himself to turn around to see the damage. The captain was opening and closing containers obnoxiously loudly, from the sound of it. "It's what the young people are saying now."

"And you consider yourself young now?"

"According to the young girls' comments on the internet I don't look my age."

Erestor couldn't hide the snort that came out then. "If only they knew you were a decrepit old man instead of the young movie-star personality you've developed."

From his peripheral vision, he saw Glorfindel move to his right side, leaning up against the counter edge. Thankfully he picked a spot where there wasn't food, or his hair would have been in it for certain. "I was thinking more of a rockstar, but actor works too." He sniffed the air absently and turned to watch Erestor roll out dough. "You ever wonder about who they'd get to play you if a movie was written about your life?"

"Where in the hell did that come from?" He had to set down the rolling pin, the question was just that ridiculous.

"I'm serious," Glorfindel said, reaching over to smear stray flour across the counter. "If you could cast someone to play you in a movie about your life, who would you pick."

Erestor watched as Glorfindel made a mess on his counter - never mind that he had scattered the flour first - then grow bored and wipe his hands on his jeans. 'Just like a child,' he thought. From the curious look he was getting, he wouldn't be able to get back to work unless he played along. "Can they be alive or dead?"

"Either. Now whatcha got."

"Alan Rickman."

"Now _that_ is too soon. And Rickman looked nothing like you. Why him?"

"I wasn't choosing based on looks. I chose Alan Rickman for the personality of his characters. There is an amazing amount of control in his expressions to not strike down the imbeciles around him when he's hit his limit."

"Huh. I didn't think of that. Damn, now I want to change mine."

"What was your first pick, then?"

"Chris Hemsworth-" The bark of laughter that came from Erestor made him jump. "Don't mock my choice!"

Erestor bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering. "I'm sorry, you were serious."

"Yeah, well it doesn't matter now. Since you chose Severus Snape, the only other guy I can think of right off the bat that would be a good fit is Tom Hiddleston-"

"Who looks nothing like you-"

"Again with the mocking!" Glorfindel looked put out. "You laugh, but Loki liked to take the mickey out of people, and you've said multiple times that I piss you off on a regular basis. How is that not a suitable choice?"

The dark haired ellon picked up the rolling pin again, reaching over to grab another handful of flour to dust the dough. "You're right, Glorfindel, that is a good choice for you. Now are we done with this nonsense, because I still have tonight's dishes to finish."

Glorfindel pushed off the counter. "Yeah, I'm good. I've been going around asking everyone, but for some reason I can't find Legolas or Ithilwen. You seen 'em?"

"Legolas is possibly giving Ithilwen a tour of the castle grounds today. If they are not within the walls, I can only assume they went outside. It is nice out, and he had been meaning to show her how the lands have changed since this was part of Gondor." Before the golden haired elf left the kitchen, he called out to him, "Tell the younglings that their lunch will be ready shortly. Today it's crescent pizza bites with those smiling face potatoes they enjoy so much."

* * *

If Ithilwen found her morning to be "eventful", the afternoon that followed it was its best friend. Legolas had been right in that once they left the room they wouldn't get a moment's peace to themselves. Once she was spotted by the children, she instantly became the Beacon of Begging - that one adult in the family that kids think are an easy target for convincing their parents to let them open a Christmas present. Thankfully the rest of the adults had anticipated this and began to head them off at the pass.

Tauriel had even used an empty threat to make them behave. "You lot can wait until morning like you always have to open your presents. And if you keep this up and start in on your grandparents, we're gonna make you wait until after Christmas dinner." There was never any danger of that long a wait, but to a child it felt all the more real. It did the trick, however, and instead of being asked repeatedly, they would cast longing looks at the three in the living room.

The children weren't the only ones looking longingly at what they wanted most. Ithilwen lost count of how many times she felt her cheeks warm when she caught Legolas watching her intently through the afternoon. No one else picked up on the exchange, but then according to Miraear he had been caught looking at those pictures she sent him back in November.

Melda had been vlogging since their flight landed, and much to Ithilwen's horror, had included her in the footage. "It's high time you made your vlogging debut," the elleth had said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and angling the camera to show both of them. Ithilwen learned after she shut the camera off that the vlogs were more for drawing in future investors by appearing "transparent" than actually outing their true identities. A small part of her felt better that her grandfather shared her reaction to being filmed as well. Melda had been about to follow her with the camera rolling when Ithilwen heard her phone go off.

"Hello?" she said, ducking into an empty room. It was one of the smaller libraries, she discovered, looking around.

"Am I talking to Winifred Sioda?"

Ithilwen almost didn't respond, having grown used to her true-given name, but she recognized the voice at last. "Victor? Yeah, it's Wennie."

"Oh thank god!" His voice sounded relieved. "I've been on a wild goose chase for weeks! Is now a good time to talk?"

"Uh, sure Vick. What's going on?" As much as she liked Victor, she had a feeling she knew what he was calling about. Their...exit...hadn't been the most professional, and a paranoid thought wondered if it were even legal now.

"Look, I'll cut right to the chase and say that I've been in a shit storm of work since I lost three-quarters of my employees. When y'all walked, it caused a chain reaction and the morning crew didn't even show up the next day. Rick had to close the restaurant until the lunch hour, and the customers were backed up with some of the longest waiting times we've ever had. And that's just the first day." His voice didn't sound angry, just tired. "By the next week, I had lost every employee who had been there from day one, and only four of the latest hired people would even work when Rick was there. I wasn't informed about what happened until right before Thanksgiving when I ran into Gene at the grocery store-"

"Sir, I'd really like to apologize-"

" _You_ don't need to say anything, Wennie. Gene went into great detail about what happened, and after what y'all have had to deal with I'm honestly not surprised you all left."

"But Victor-"

"I said no apologies," he pushed on. "Rick has been fired, and if there's any evidence to support it, Ella can file a lawsuit against his person. I've had to close the restaurant for the time being, unfortunately. Between Rick, the holidays, and tracking down my former workers, there hasn't been time to manage the business."

Ithilwen's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why are you looking for all of us, Vick? Is it to tell us that Rick the Dick-tator is gone?"

Vick's laugh echoed through the phone. "I like that name! But yes, part of the reason was to tell each of you I took care of the rat in the woodpile. The other reason I've been tracking everyone down is to offer them their old jobs back before I hire new people. Since you were pushed into leaving under what I'm citing as a health-hazard, it's only right that I give each of you the opportunity to come back if you want to-"

"Vick-"

"-I plan to open the restaurant back on the first of the year, so we need to take the last week of the month and regroup-"

"Vick!" She really didn't want to shout and draw attention from the rest of the castle, but he wouldn't stop talking. "Vick, I can't do it."

"What? Which part? If it's school we can work around that-"

"No, no. Okay, well that's part of it, but the thing is...I'm in Scotland right now."

"Scotland?"

"Yeah." She looked out around the doorway to see if anyone were nearby. From her vantage point, Ithilwen could see some of her kin in the living room playing a game. "I flew out right after the semester ended to spend the holidays with my family," she continued. "I haven't seen many of them in a long time, and only planned to fly back right before my final term."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Okay," Vick said, recalculating. "I can make arrangements to have one of the girls cover your shifts until you return-"

"Vick, Vick listen. When I walked out that day...I didn't expect to be welcomed back. My schooling suffered almost as bad as my health in the few months that Rick ran things. When I got out, it was such a relief..."

He went silent again. Then, "I think I know where you're going with this, Wennie. But just to make sure we're on the same page..."

"I'm sorry Victor," she told him softly. "but I won't be coming back to Cogs and Coins."

He sighed. "I thought as much."

"Sir, it's of no disrespect to you. I enjoyed working there for years-"

"It was Rick that killed that atmosphere. Yeah, I know that now. There's nothing I can say that can change your mind?"

Ithilwen found herself shaking her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "I'm sorry, Victor." She looked around the doorway again, towards the game that had been abandoned in the living room. The board had been flipped, by child or adult was anyone's guess, and a tangle of elves could be seen on the floor. "It's just...I only planned to come back to California to finish school. Once I graduate, I'm moving to Scotland to be with my family. Coming back to work for you would be great, but I couldn't do so to leave months later."

"I appreciate your concerns, Wennie. It won't be quite the same without you there, but you do what you need to do. You were on of the best waitresses I had, you know."

She knew it was an attempt to coax her into working even a small fraction when she came back to the States, but she couldn't be swayed. When she left, she didn't intend to return.

Victor continued on talking as if he weren't trying to pull her back into the fray. "And listen, when you come back for school, don't be a stranger. It's always good to see a familiar face at the restaurant. Take care of yourself, and have a Merry Christmas, Wennie."

"Thank you, Vick." She smiled, perhaps for the first time during the entire conversation. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

It was later that night that Ithilwen found herself back in bed. Legolas' bed, to be precise, though he was now referring to it as 'their' bed. She was sitting up against the pillows and headboard thumbing through a book while Legolas was in the bathroom. The words on the pages were a blur to her, but even if she had tried to read she couldn't find it in herself to focus. So much had happened that day.

Ithilwen found it in herself to follow her heart's desire, which led her into Legolas' bed. They made love for the first time since she had been reborn - quite a few times, and she's still amazed no one had mentioned their lack of presence at breakfast. Then she had almost been conned by her nieces and nephews into breaking tradition all through the afternoon. As much as she had grown to love the younglings in the short amount of time she'd known them, pulling a stunt like that would have to wait until the following Christmas when she could better prepare. Erestor had outdone himself with the "dinner" that was served that evening, being insistent that she eat more than she had despite having returned to her normal figure. And after evading more vlogging footage, she had a long talk with the owner of the last place she worked, telling him she wouldn't come back.

It had taken Ithilwen all of mere seconds to make a decision, but now that she had, she felt lost. She had to figure it was because Cogs and Coins had been part of her routine since she had started college, and very soon she would be finishing her degree. In a way, it was fitting that she made this choice now, instead of carrying the added stress of work up till graduation. With the number of people in her family, she had to begin planning to have them fly overseas, where they would stay, how long...it would be too much for her.

"You look to be enjoying that book." Legolas snickered as his mate flushed and swung the paperback at him. He had caught it easily, sliding into bed next to her. When he came out of the bathroom, she wasn't even remotely looking at the book in her hands. "Something on your mind?"

Ithilwen took the book back and placed it on the nightstand on her side of the bed. "A lot of things. Lots of stuff happened today."

"Am I one of those things?"

"Actually, yes." She looked up at him and smiled. "You're always on my mind."

Legolas' smile grew until he considered the days events, and then it dropped quickly. "Ithilwen I swear it never occurred to me that you would still be-"

"It has nothing to do with that, Legolas." She had to cut him off quickly before he went down that path again. "I was thinking about us in the coming months. You know, when I have to go back to college."

"Ah yes, that." From the tone, it had been on his mind too. "You know I'll be alright with you going back to school next month. And I can always come visit you; see the rest of that apartment I've only seen through webcam..."

She laughed at that. "Believe me, there isn't much to the apartment that you haven't seen. It's not all that big." Ithilwen shifted, leaning against his shoulder. "I got a phonecall today. It was the owner of the restaurant, Victor. He had some interesting news to share."

"Did he now?"

"Rick, the guy that we all left, was fired. Gene ran into Victor and told him everything that happened with Rick at the helm, so Vick let him go. There was something else." Ithilwen bit her lip and looked down at her hands. "He gave me an opening at the restaurant if I wanted my old job back."

Legolas had stiffened against her for a second until he remembered that the man who had made his mate quit was gone. "What did you say?"

"I told Vick that I wouldn't be coming back."

"You could have." The first thought he had was that she did it because of him, and he didn't want her to pass up opportunities on his behalf.

She looked up at him. "But I didn't want to. I only intended to go back to California to finish school, and once I graduated, I was going to pack up and move back here. The last few semesters are always busier for one reason or another, and I didn't want work to be one of those reasons. Besides, when I have my degree, I'll have a job here-"

"I wouldn't expect you to start immediately melleth-"

"But I will still want to learn the ropes," she insisted. "I can't do that from California. Not to mention that one day we'll be going back to Valinor. We won't be able to keep the truth hidden forever, so it's better to leave what I can behind now so I'm forgotten, right?"

As much as he didn't care for the way she put it, she was right. "I don't want you to feel like you have to upend your life because of us, Ithilwen."

"I'm not! Do you honestly think I could work efficiently as a waitress when all I can think about is you?" she laughed, adding, "Going back for school is going to be hard enough."

Ithilwen leaned up to kiss his cheek before sliding off the edge of the bed, moving towards the bathroom. He watched her disappear behind the door, already feeling the pang of anxiety of her leaving. It would only be for a few months, his logical side reasoned. The emotionally-driven side of his mind disagreed, and it was this part that made him want to keep her there. He couldn't do that to her; it wouldn't be right. He didn't have to worry about her being unfaithful; that was just something that bound elves never considered. It was loneliness that worried him. In the few short weeks that she had been in the castle - if it had even been _that_ long - he had grown used to her presence. How he would get along without her there was inconceivable.

Maybe he could follow her? That was another thought to mull over. He would still have to manage the company, and more often than not that would call for him to be present at the board meetings. That meant flying back to Scotland for each meeting, then back to California to be with Ithilwen, not counting any other publicity events he would be called to. Would there be any time to spend with Ithilwen when she wasn't in class after all that? Probably not, and his public image would also be affected if he followed her. While he personally didn't feel it was their business, the entertainment outlets would lose their minds to learn that one of the "celebrity businessmen" they follow was suddenly seen in public with a woman he wasn't related to. Because those kinds of people believe they have their finger on the pulse of every hookup, breakup, and rumor concerning higher-class individuals, no matter that his own finger wore its wedding band in public without question. 'A perk of our culture,' he mused, studying the band. 'The downside is that every mortal in the world believes me to be single, or preferring the selection of male companionship as a spouse.' Neither was true, obviously.

Even as she came back into the room and climbed into bed, Legolas couldn't get the thoughts to stop. He pulled her flush against his chest as they settled into the blankets, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her close. Thinking about her leaving was the last thing he wanted this night, or for the next few nights at least. He knew the days were getting closer to her leaving Scotland, but for the time being, he would hold on to her and cherish these moments. Ithilwen needed to finish school. He could always visit her. He'd also have to prepare her for the unexpected if the media took notice. But that would come later. He would figure it all out another day.


	26. Chapter 26

The ringing of the cell phone on the beside table made Ithilwen question why its existence was there in the first place as she lay burrowed in the mass of blankets and limbs of her mate. She was too warm and comfortable right where she was, but she knew that if she didn't answer the caller would continue to disrupt her sleep. With small movements, Ithilwen stretched and reached for the annoying device, hoping that her shift in the bed wouldn't wake Legolas.

"Hello?" she asked groggily.

"Merry Christmas!" came a chorused response that sounded far too cheerful for Ithilwen's liking.

"I'm half awake here so you're gonna have to tell me if you're a telemarketer or not outright," She grumbled.

Laughter was heard over the line. "It's late morning over there in Scotland, isn't it? You decided to sleep in?"

Ithilwen only heard one voice that time, and sorting through a hazy memory she managed to place the name with the voice. "Esther? What time is it over there?"

"It's about...well it's going on nine-"

The elleth's brain was still muddled, but Esther's calculations were off. Way off. "You mean you woke me up at…5 o'clock on Christmas _morning_?"

A new voice could be heard in the distance on Esther's end. "I told you it was early over there!"

"Yeah, whatever," Esther said to the person distractedly. "It's still Christmas _eve_ here in the States, so by the time we were up celebrating, you guys would have probably turned in for bed."

"Okay," Ithilwen mumbled. "I can't argue with that logic." She was loved her friends, and she appreciated the sentiment, but she would have liked it more had they let her sleep a another hour. The elf laying behind her in the big bed hadn't exactly let her sleep _all_ night.

Unbeknownst to Ithilwen, Legolas had stirred with the first sounds of the phone ringing, and he had been more than awake as she talked to her mortal friends from college. He tightened his arm around her waist, drawing her body closer to his as he buried his nose in her shoulder. She had been focusing too hard on what the girl named Esther was saying to really notice the movements.

'it won't be long now,' he thought to himself, amused. The close proximity of her body to his would register with his mate when she realized that he had once again become aroused. Not that the task was difficult, to be fair. Everything about Ithilwen seemed to set him off, regardless of their rebinding the day before. It was like being with her the first time all over again. The scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, the luscious curves - Legolas just couldn't get enough of her. Even if they weren't lying naked beneath the thick blankets he was pretty sure his erection would still be just as evident.

But Ithilwen was still talking to the mortal. Hadn't she noticed? While Legolas didn't mind the girl calling her friend to wish her a happy holiday - he had heard that much - he really wished the call would end so that he could give his mate a proper wake-up call. 'Although,' Legolas thought idly, 'There's nothing saying that I couldn't bring other important matters to her attention...'

Ithilwen had been listening to Esther prattle on about their holiday plans, humming in understanding where applicable when she felt it. That distinct hardness pressed against her bottom. 'Legolas is either awake or he's gotten turned on in his sleep,' she thought. When the hips of her mate had rocked forward, effectively rubbing himself against her harder, Ithilwen let out a gasp of surprise. 'He's awake,' She quickly realized. 'He's definitely awake!'

Esther had heard the noise from her end and asked, "You okay?"

Blushing even though Esther couldn't see, Ithilwen responded with, "Yeah, I just got a muscle cramp in my foot."

"Oh those are the worst, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Ithilwen's voice trailed off as she tried to wiggle away from Legolas' mischievous hips, but his grip would have none of it, and he pressed himself further against her if it were possible. "Yeah, they can be a real pain in the ass."

Legolas had to bury his head in her shoulder to suppress the laughter from that terrible pun. So she knew that he was awake - more than awake - by this point, but he was not about to make enough noise to let the girl on the phone know of his presence. Now Ithilwen on the other hand...

While Esther was talking about the different Christmas gifts that she had bought for her fiance, Ithilwen felt long, calloused fingers creep from around her waist to settle on her hip. There they caressed her tenderly before sliding down her leg, moving across the top, and settling along the inside of her thigh. As if on cue, her body began to respond against her best judgment, and she wondered if this wasn't some kind of punishment for not answering the phone sooner. Or was it because the phone rang at all? It was hard to tell, because her mind was beginning to cloud over as the hand that gripped her thigh raised her leg up and back over his hip, where immediately his length replaced the space that her leg occupied. 'Okay, forget rotten luck,' she inwardly groaned, 'This is just evil!'

Ithilwen swallowed. "I think if you're gonna get him some sweaters, the dark blue would probably be a better choice than yell-OH!" she gasped a little louder this time as Legolas' fingers wound back around her hip and waist to graze the overly sensitive bundle of nerves within her folds.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Esther asked skeptically.

"I'm...I'm..fine," she tried to get out, which was hard when she felt something else hard beginning to graze her entrance in languid movements. Legolas was being purely evil right now and he knew it. "It's just ...the muscle cramp...that's...ah-all..."

"You need to eat some bananas or something then," Legolas heard Esther say, and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud at the unintended innuendo. "It sounds like your potassium levels are low if you're cramping this much."

'I'm low on something right now, but I don't think it's potassium,' Ithilwen thought as she reached back and pinched Legolas' hip, once she managed to find the set of skin that didn't belong to her leg. His retort was to rub himself against her harder, making it impossible for her to not mewl in delight. The hand that she had pinched him with shot to her mouth at this new movement, stifling any noise that was coming out that she couldn't contain.

"I'll add it to my breakfast," Ithilwen said, just as she felt Legolas slide into her. The sensations of being taken from behind were overwhelming, and once more her hand closed over her mouth while Esther continued to talk. The feelings were not unwelcome, of course, but right then she wished Legolas would either have waited or that Esther would wrap up the conversation. Quick. 'Oh gods,' she sighed, feeling Legolas rub against a particular spot as his fingers resumed their previous ministrations. 'Something's got to give and real quick!'

Legolas had no intentions of bringing his mate to peak while she was on the phone, because he wanted her to be fully immersed in his attentions when it happened. Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't bring her to the edge and stop. As it was, his desire to drive into her faster with each slow thrust was excruciating, and despite himself, he was about ready to tell the mortal that Ithilwen was otherwise previously engaged for the morning and to call back later.

To both of their wishes, or perhaps luck, the mortal had begun to bring the current topic to a close. "Well I just wanted to call and wish you a Merry Christmas," Esther said. "Jack and Thia send the same. I'll give Bernard a call and talk to him for a while, so I'll let you get back to your sleep."

Ithilwen made her farewells to her friend, nearly slinging the phone on the bedside table when she ended the call. Legolas chuckled as he continued to move slowly against her. "I take it all is well?"

"You are evil."

"Perhaps, but you love it."

"Yes," she sighed, "Yes I do." Ithilwen felt her eyes roll back as Legolas shifted angles, hitting a new spot. "And don't you dare stop just because I got off the phone!" she moaned.

"Of that, I had no intention, melamin."

* * *

Across the great pond, back in San Francisco, Esther had just hung up from her end of the phone call with Wennie. Thia came around the counter to see the blonde staring at her phone. "Everything okay with Wennie?"

"Yeah, and she sends holiday wishes to us," Esther said distractedly. Had she imagined it? No…there was no way! Wennie was a decent actress, but…

Thia looked on concerned. "Are you sure everything is okay? It's kind of late over in Scotland, isn't it? Or was it early? Maybe she was asleep?"

"Oh, I have no doubts that I woke Wennie up," Esther said, pocketing the small phone. "But I don't think she's going back to bed anytime soon."

"What do you mean?"

Esther grinned, leaning in close so only Thia would hear this part of the conversation. Jack and Aster had gone into the kitchen to make cocoa, but she didn't want to risk it. "Do you remember the picture of that blonde guy that's on her phone background?" She asked. "The one that she suddenly started talking to months ago?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"I think he's what's keeping our Wennie from going back to sleep!"

Thia looked shocked. "No! ...really? I thought she said that she was just friends with that guy! Isn't that why she went to Scotland in the first place? To spend the holidays with him?"

"That's what she told us, but I'm beginning to think that there's more to the story than she's told us." Esther frowned then. "I guess I can see where she's coming from by not telling everything, in the off chance things don't work out or something. But you know, given the way she's talked about this guy, I wouldn't be surprised if she comes back to California as a claimed woman."

"That would be nice for her, I would think." Thia smiled. "She needs something good in her life to make up for the recent bad stuff that's happened. I hope this guy is what she needs."

Esther shrugged. The most she knew about Legolas was what she had heard in gossip. "Who knows, but right now he's definitely what she's 'needing' if you get my drift."

"Are you trying to tell me that-"

"Oh yeah," Esther laughed out loud. "Wennie's gotten her Christmas stocking stuffed early this year!"

* * *

Every year it was the same. Erestor woke up at 5:30, got dressed, and began his Christmas morning ritual. Coffee was brewing and water was in the kettle for tea, then he'd move on to food, starting with the croissants. It was a delicate process he had perfected over the years, saving the most sensitive foods - such as eggs - to be prepared when the first arrivals wandered into the dining room. More often than not, it was one of the younglings, wide awake and wanting to open presents. If they were especially early, they would help set the table.

Of all the people he expected to encounter that morning, Ithilwen was not at the top of the list. Before he could stop himself he said, "I take it the prince has allowed his princess out of his sight?" When she began to turn pink, he hastily added, "What I meant was, good morning, Little Star."

After Ithilwen's greetings came out in a jumble, she paused to take a breath and collect herself. The flush hadn't completely left her cheeks as she asked, "Have we been that transparent?"

One of Erestor's dark eyebrows rose. "If anyone in this house deserves private time, it would be the two of you, and I challenge anyone to suggest otherwise. What you do is your business, however, I am slightly curious as to how you escaped."

She laughed, moving to collect a mug from the overhead cabinet. "I got woken up by my phone ringing. It was some college friends wishing me Merry Christmas, and they weren't the only one who woke me up." Ithilwen poured herself some of the freshly-made coffee as she talked. "When it was obvious we weren't getting anymore sleep…well, _you know_ …anyway, I went to take a quick shower in my room since I left my clothes in there, and on the way back to Legolas' room I heard it."

"Heard what?"

"The noise of children crawling the walls because it's Christmas morning."

That time Erestor laughed out loud. "Where were they?"

Ithilwen took a sip of her coffee. "Last I heard, they were all trying to get into Legolas' room. I made my escape out my door. How come they aren't trying to wake their parents up instead?" She set it down next to the coffee pot and took the stack of plates Erestor handed her, following him into the dining room to set the table.

"That would be because Legolas is head of the castle," Erestor explained. "When we arrived back here centuries ago, it had been decided that while leadership would rotate in the public eye to maintain our secrecy, Legolas would always be the true head of Ithilien and what remained of it. When the younglings were able to walk and talk easily, a joke had been made one Christmas that it was up to their uncle to decide when they could open presents. Ever since then, they have stormed the halls like a small army, and come next Christmas you should be prepared. I suspect that they allowed you to escape this year unscathed-"

More voices began to echo along the halls of the castle, and soon enough, many of the adults were filing into the dining room. Ithilwen continued to set the table, keeping an eye out for Legolas, but he was nowhere to be found. Food was being brought to the table, but she still hadn't seen him come into the room.

She was beginning to worry, and as she considered going back upstairs to look for him, she heard a number of voices talking at once. Moments passed before Legolas appeared in the doorway, literally swamped with younglings. Gwend, Melui, and Baineth were gripping him about the neck and shoulders, while Ernil and Innion had clung to each of his legs. As a whole it looked like a bizarre transformer walking in the dining room, all asking the same thing - when could they see what Santa brought them for Christmas.

"After breakfast!" Legolas finally caved, breathing a sigh of relief when they let go of him, satisfied with the answer. It got them to the table, quick enough. Ithilwen had been off to the side, laughing at him when he reached her, bending slightly to kiss her. "There you are, melleth."

"So this is every year?" she whispered to him as they took their seats.

"Not nearly this bad," he said. "You're here for the first time, so they're gonna be worse. I usually tell them to wait a bit after breakfast. If I had said the same this year I don't think they'd have let me eat!"

* * *

While the morning for Ithilwen was approaching noon, back in California the day was just barely beginning. The sun had yet to rise over the city, so for the occupants in the secluded cabin it was downright dark.

Esther tugged herself both from the grasp of her fiance and the warmth of the bedcovers. The floors weren't as cold as she'd imagined them to be, but they were cool enough to make her regret putting her bare feet on them. She tried to stand on her toes as she searched for her slippers in the dark and nearly knocked her cell phone off the bedside table. One slipper on, she sacrificed her bare foot to keep from waking Jack up by catching the phone before it hit the floor and the accompanying swear that would surely follow. Phone in hand, she sought out the other slipper and put it on without issue, then crept out of the bedroom.

She had a plan, and she didn't want her phone to ruin it. The problem was that it was too dark to see anything in front of her. This time, she did swear out loud when she ran into the corner of the couch. Luckily it was far enough away from their room that Jack wouldn't have heard it, but her sore toes could have cared less in that moment. Fumbling with her balance and the switch on the lamp, she froze in place as the living room lit up to reveal that she wasn't alone. "Shit Aster, I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Nah, but you did give me a start when I heard you a second ago." He chuckled. "I was coming down to start breakfast, but I think it might be better to start the fireplace."

Esther grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that might help."

"If you'd like to start a pot of coffee, I'll get this fire going."

She nodded and turned to the kitchen, awake enough now to reach out for the switch before she walked into something else. Esther had just pressed the power button on the coffee pot when Aster entered the kitchen. "I suppose this is a cruddy way to start Christmas off, ain't it?"

"I've done worse." Aster began to pull ingredients out of the cabinets as he talked. "There was one year in high school that I had come down to breakfast Christmas morning in this pair of pajama pants. Now, I didn't know that there was a hole the size of Los Angeles in the seat of them- I knew they had frayed in some places, they were that comfortable- and I guess that morning they had just given up the good fight. My mum was sitting at the kitchen table, and as I go into the kitchen for coffee I hear her say, "Aster there's a crack in your pants! You might wanna change those before Grandma comes over; you don't want her to see your Christmas bells, do you?" And no teenage boy wants to hear his mum say that!"

Esther was laughing out loud now, her own sore toes forgotten. "Bet you didn't need any coffee after that!"

"No," Aster laughed, "But a good shot of eggnog would have helped!" He paused in mixing ingredients into the bowl she had passed him and asked, "What do you think about a breakfast casserole this morning?"

"That sounds wonderful." Esther turned to start pulling down the casserole dish from the cabinet when she said, "You know that's what I was thinking about? Dinner's going to take some time to cook, and this should be filling enough to hold us."

He continued to mix the ingredients together for biscuits while she began to chop onion on the cutting board. "I don't mean to pry, but Thia told me about what you've been going through with your family. I'm sorry to hear that."

She sighed, not out of frustration but resignation. "It's fine. They're picky about what blood marries into the family, and they don't approve of Jack. It's like - I swear to god they actually told me "his blood isn't rich enough" - I mean can you believe that?! They wanted me to come home for the holidays so I could mean an associate from a partner company, but I told them no."

"Sounds to me like that's more for them to secure a deal than to make their child happy."

"I know, right? And they had the gall to get mad at me because I put my foot down on this!"

"You've got every right to be mad, not them. You're an adult that's capable of making your own decisions."

Esther snorted. "Yeah, well according to them, if I continue to stay with Jack I'm out of the will. They won't completely disown me, but they'll try to make my life a living hell by threatening to cut off their financial support."

"That's rude."

"That doesn't bother me," she told him. "What bothers me is that my parents won't give him or his family the time of day because they aren't rich. His family is incredibly sweet and will welcome anyone with open arms, but my parents only care about the value of things." She scooped up the chopped onion and dumped it into the bowl next to the cutting board and then began on a green bell pepper.

Aster dumped some flour on the counter and began to roll out the dough. "Do you think they'll ever come around?"

"I dunno. I want my parents to see what I see in Jack, and if they can't or won't accept my decision, then they'll just have to miss out on their future grandchildren."

"Will _you_ be able to handle that?"

"I've gotta be. I won't change my mind about Jack. We're going to get through college, then we'll find a place and plan our wedding. After that, when we're both ready, we'll try for kids." Esther knew that the road ahead wouldn't be easy for them, money-wise. Where her parents saw it as a social staple, she was always under the impression that money was meant to be a means to an end. What she wasn't spending on the necessities for college or living, she was adding to a savings account for their future. She didn't know if there would come a time when her parents would reconsider, but she didn't want to wait around for something that might never change. There was one thing she could say about her parents, and that was their desire for their daughter to be self-reliant. She had accomplished that in spades, she thought, though having a little extra in finances would be nice.

The man next to her nodded in approval. "Good, you shouldn't have to sway to anyone in how you feel. And if it will help you out, I'm always looking for help at the shop."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. The pay isn't the biggest, but it's something extra. And I've got no problems working around your schedule. Like I've told Thia, any of you are welcome to come in. There's always an odd job here or there around the shop."

"Thank you, Aster," Esther smiled. "I really appreciate that." The remainder of their time preparing breakfast was spent either in silence or reminiscing about past holidays. The weight that had settled in her chest as she recalled her last talk with her parents was lifted by Aster's generous offer. It wasn't much, as he had said, but anything extra these days was nothing to sneeze at. She had hoped to stay in the area after college, but the cost of rent where they lived now was too high for most college students as it was. But that was something to think about another time. It was Christmas, and one shouldn't be stressing about anything other than the big dinner on this day.

* * *

Wrapping paper littered the floor of the living room. Boxes that had once housed toys lay haphazardly across the floor, bent out of shape and surrounded by those little clear twist ties that were every parent's nightmare. Ithilwen recalled the horrors of those tightly-wrapped products, but never had her foster mother ever suggested taking a set of white knives to the box. She quickly learned that this was a more common practice than she ever expected. The worst possible boxes to open had to have been the doll boxes. She had made the mistake of getting a few Monster High dolls for the girls, and while she loved how they looked in the boxes, getting them out was another feeling entirely. When it was apparent that she had the "patience" to untie the plastic strips from the synthetic hair, she became the designated doll-box-opener.

The highlight of the morning had been watching the younglings open their presents. That was what Christmas presents were really about, in her opinion. Getting gifts was nice, but it didn't compare to shopping for others or seeing children open theirs. Once they had gotten their toys open, they had taken off to play with them, and it was time for the adults to exchange gifts. As expected, Elrond did have a comment about his son's choice of wrapping paper.

"Why does this…thing…enjoy the sun? Is it not a snowman?"

"Yeah, he just really likes the summer."

An eyebrow rose. "But it is a snowman."

"I know."

"Is it brain-damaged, then?"

"Something like that, Adar."

Elrond rubbed his hand over his face, mumbling about how far the evolution of Arda has sunken.

Of the gifts exchanged were a multitude of clothing pieces, books, video games, and gag gifts that ranged from fart jokes to things that were left in their box in case a youngling happened to wander in at any moment. Ithilwen had fallen into this pattern, choosing more conservative gifts for her parents and grandparents. For anyone else, there were no boundaries. All except for the box she placed within Legolas' lap.

He had looked at her curiously as he opened it. For all the teasing, he hadn't meant to imply that he expected anything from her, having her there sitting on the arm of his chair had been all he had wanted for years. Everything else that she had given him since she arrived had been more than he had ever expected. The box that fell into his lap had some weight to it, and as he lifted the lid he discovered why. It was a book, decently sized, but the small title that was pressed into the cover stumped him. "Making Up For Lost Time," he read aloud, brows furrowing. Looking inside, he saw that the first page was decorated with small embellishments, but nothing to distract from its words: "Making your favorite dinner". Skimming a few more pages, it was the same. Legolas looked back up at her in confusion.

"You know how I've been saying how much I regret missing out on since the accident?" Ithilwen felt her cheeks flush as it occurred to her that more than a few of the others in the room had already caught on to her idea. "I thought this would be something that we could use while I catch up on being me again."

Legolas continued to stare at her, his smile growing as it sunk in. "This is wonderful Ithilwen, thank you." He glanced back down to the book, amazed that she would consider such a notion for him. Flipping further through the book, he could tell that she had given the subjects some considerable thought…even things he wouldn't have mentioned so early into their reunion. Ignoring that the tips of his ears began to burn after a few particular pages he had seen, he quickly shut the book and passed her a box. "Somehow I think we had the same idea."

Ithilwen could tell when he came across one of _those_ pages, and she had bitten down on the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't laugh. She wanted to make up for missing out on everything they could have had together, and she wasn't about to turn shy and omit the more private ones. When Legolas handed her the giftbox, she pretended not to notice his reddening ears. There would be time to talk about the book later, but for now, there was the matter of the equally heavy box that sat in her hands. She mulled over his words as she tore the wrapping paper back and lifted the lid of the box. Sitting in a cloud of tissue paper was a book with a thick leather binding. Ithilwen lifted the book out of the box and set the box on the floor. She spared a look at Legolas, who nudged her with his elbow to look inside.

"Oh…my god…" she breathed, unable to believe what she was seeing. "This is…it's…"

"All of the letters we've ever written each other," Legolas said, "Starting from the first ones we wrote as younglings."

There were murmurs of reaction from the other elves in the room, but Ithilwen was his sole focus. He mouth had dropped open as she turned the pages of the scrapbook, seeing for the first time in centuries her handwriting as a little elleth. 'These were the letters from my dreams,' she thought to herself. "You kept them?"

"Of course." There had been many times since their return to Arda that Legolas had revisited the letters, and it was during one rainy afternoon that the thought occurred to him to have them bound for his mate. "When you're back in California finishing school, you'll have these to look back on when I'm not there with you."

A sniffle was the only warning Legolas got. He hadn't intended to make his wife cry with the gift, but the sudden thump in his lap and arms around his neck told him that she liked the book. Thankfully he had slid the book she had made him over to the opposite arm of the chair. Ithilwen held onto his neck tightly as she whispered into his neck. "Thank you so much, Legolas. I love it."

* * *

Despite the time difference, the events at the castle and the cabin seemed to mirror each other. Jack and Thia woke up to the smells of breakfast as dawn broke, and after a heavy breakfast they all sat down in the living room to exchange gifts. With that out of the way, the preparations for Christmas dinner had begun, and this time all four shuffled about in the kitchen. The longest wait of the meal was the roast, to which their time was occupied with board games. At the castle, Erestor had taken on much of the work the previous night, as he was monitoring both roast and turkey - since no one could agree on just one. Instead of keeping him cooped up staring at the ovens in the larger kitchen, he had been coerced by Lindir into joining the rest of the family for a few rounds of Prop Hunt. Both dinners were finished without hiccups, and each sat down to their meals, telling about previous holidays and laughing at the memories.

After dinner at the cabin, Thia and Esther had volunteered to put up the leftovers and soak the dishes, under the excuse of having to make room on the table and in their stomachs for dessert. Jack saw this as an opportunity to talk one-on-one with Aster. There had been some things he needed to say, but every time he thought he'd have an opening, either Esther or Thia would come into the room.

"What's up, Jack?" Aster asked as he joined him on the front porch of the cabin. Snow was coming down lightly across the yard. He zipped up his jacket and stuck his hands in his pockets, reminding himself that it had been his idea for them all to spend the holidays in the cabin.

Jack mimicked his posture and came to stand next to him. "I've been wanting to talk to you for days now, but you know- man-to-man."

"Are you trying to tell me that you've noticed you're becoming a big boy now?" Aster joked. The look on the younger man's face wasn't amused. "I'm kidding, Jack. You meant without the girls, alright."

Jack his eyes. "I wanted to apologize for how I reacted when we all got here," he said quickly. "I didn't handle it well. At all."

Aster shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that, mate. I know you had good reason. I mean hell, I've been asked how old I was more times than I can remember! It won't be the last time it's happened, unless I decide to dye my gray hairs."

"I thought Thia liked the look."

"She does; it's the public that thinks I'm her father by passing glance." Aster absently flapped his arms against his coat a few times, reminding himself again that this trip was his idea. "Her parents were startled to learn I began going gray early on when I first met them, too. I've gotten into the habit of showing my driver's license, obviously," he grinned.

"So it doesn't bother you?"

"Nah. People are gonna think what they want. No one has time to read the details anymore unless it will benefit them. The only opinion that matters to me is Thia's. Not her parents, though the support is appreciated. In time they've learned that I treat their daughter right, and that's all a parent can hope for."

Jack frowned. "Esther's parents don't see things that way."

"Yeah, she said something to that effect this morning while we cooked breakfast. I'm gonna tell you what I told her; fuck it all." He laughed, watching the expression on Jack's face change from sullen to alarmed. "Don't panic, I told her to not worry about what her parent's think. You're both adults that are more than capable of deciding your futures."

For a second Jack had feared that Aster's advice had taken a path he wished to avoid altogether. "Did she happen to tell you her parent's will cut off their college support?" he asked. "I couldn't live with myself if she couldn't afford to go to school because of me."

"She did, and I offered her some work at my shop, whenever she wished to stop by. The offer's open to you too, Jack. Like I told her, the pay isn't the best, but it's always a little more than you had before, you know?"

"T-thanks, Aster. I don't know what to say-"

Aster flapped his arms again, looking like a chicken in a winter coat. "Say you'll accept so we can get our asses back inside! I don't know about you but mine's more frozen than a Butterball turkey!"

On that comment, Jack could agree. Both men made a dash to get back inside and in front of the fireplace. Esther and Thia had come into the room upon hearing the awful racket their heavy coats were making, eyeing them suspiciously when they played it off. "We put the pies in the oven to warm up a bit," Thia said, "so when you two neanderthals are done acting up, they'll be ready to eat. I'm going to go start some coffee." She left the room, leaving Esther to watch the two grinning fools. Esther didn't say anything, simply shook her head and followed Thia.

* * *

With the excitement of Christmas drawing to an end, the occupants of the castle retired to their rooms much later that night. The younglings had been too keyed up to go to sleep at their normal bedtimes, so it was in their parent's best interests to let them wear themselves out, even if it meant they had to be up later than they wished. The couples whose own children had grown could only smile in sympathy as they disappeared upstairs. These parents had already experienced this hell, and they weren't the least bit sorry for teasing the younger parents.

Not everyone was as evil-minded. Bernard and Melda had volunteered to help their nieces and nephews tire with video games that required full body movement. Legolas and Ithilwen had been staying downstairs as extra support, though silent looks were shared between them. As much as they cared about them, the pair wanted nothing more than to be alone while the had the opportunity. New Years would be rolling in quick, and they both knew what would come following the start of the year.

Fiona had picked up on the way her cousin was acting. Ithilwen was all smiles as she played with Melui and her new dolls, but she could see that her cousin wanted to be anywhere but there. If it had been anyone else, she might have taken offense to this, though she knew the reason. With a nudge to Melui, who turned and looked at her curiously, Fiona said "Tell your aunt and uncle goodnight, sweetie. I think they're getting tired." Ithilwen had started to protest, even as Melui reached up to hug her neck. Fiona wouldn't have any of it, though. "I'd be a fool not to see that you and Legolas need some time alone without all of us hogging your time. Go on, we'll be fine."

Legolas wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth as he took Ithilwen by the hand and began to pull her out of the room. He appreciated his cousin-in-law's perception for once. As they reached the stairs he pulled her up under his arm and into his side. "I know that during the day I'm going to have to share you with the rest of the family, but the nights are mine and mine alone. Especially when it's nearing midnight," he grinned.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?" She felt slightly guilty that she was bailing on them as well, but then Legolas' hand had moved down her side to rest on her hip, and the circles his thumb was making there made her momentarily forget what she was feeling guilty about.

"They'll be fine," he assured her. "Those younglings had a lot to be excited about this year, but I think they'll be winding down soon."

As they reached the top of the stairs and began the trek to their room, Legolas slipped his arm from around Ithilwen and grasped her hand tightly. She barely registered the grin as he took off running down the hallway, pulling her behind him. She was laughing as they reached the door, only to laugh harder as Legolas struggled to turn the doorknob. He had planned this to go more smoothly, and it appeared the door had other plans. It took pity on him, likely sensing he would have kicked it down, and turned easily. As the door swung open, Legolas dove inside, pulling Ithilwen with him and backing her up against the door as it shut.

Ithilwen struggled to get her laughter under control as he stared down at her. What she thought at first was annoyance at his expense was actually a heated gaze, and she couldn't ignore the shiver of anticipation at that look. "Making up for lost time?" she half-joked.

"You have no idea," he whispered, bending down to capture her lips in a kiss. Legolas pulled away just a fraction. "That book you made me…Do you think…Could we…?" He felt ridiculous that he couldn't just outright ask, even as he knew they were moving forward on her terms. The worst thing she could tell him was no.

She could tell that he wanted to ask. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't, unless he was afraid she'd turn him down. The whole reason she put _those_ pages in the book were for them. Yes, she had been feeling bold when she created the pages, but she was also willing to follow through. Ithilwen smiled slowly at Legolas, getting an idea. "Actually, I was thinking the same thing…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates on this story since February…T_T If you follow Call Me Again, you know the big reasons why I haven't been writing. But with this story, I also hit a snag, for a few reasons. The first reason is that the first section had been written differently, and for over a week I struggled with if I should leave it in or not. I finally just said screw it and tweaked a few bits. In that same week I've also been trying to reread my own story, because while outlines are good, they only went so far, and I didn't want to contradict myself. The third reason was trying to write Christmas in September. I'm not Zoella; I can't get excited for Christmas before Halloween (I actually like Halloween more than Christmas). Because of that I skimped out on some material with the rest of the family, but I also couldn't remember what I had planned for them. They'll appear more in other chapters, don't worry; I only figured that this Christmas would be more focused on Ithilwen and Legolas. The next chapter should be easier to write, and it shouldn't take me six months to write. I appreciate all the comments y'all have been leaving on these stories, and want to thank you from the bottom of my heart! You've stuck with me this long; I'll make sure it's worth the wait! :)


	27. Chapter 27

A few days had passed since Christmas, and already the cabin's inhabitants were sick of leftovers. There were just so many casseroles that one could take, so the remainder of the holiday dinner was packed away in the freezer. Before they left they planned to divvy up whatever was left of anything they bought to preventing one couple from being loaded with food they couldn't finish. Such as it was, that left little else to eat in the cabin, which meant a trip to the grocery store.

As Jack looked up and down the aisle, he knew that this would require careful planning. One couldn't be too hasty in this kind of situation. The big question was: Captain Crunch or Corn Pops?

"No really, take your time, Jack," Esther said sarcastically. "We have an eternity."

"Shhh- This is an important decision, Es."

She rolled her eyes. "I've seen paint dry faster than you. They're both filled with sugar! Pick one!"

"But we'll be eating on it for at least a week! I don't want to be held responsible for picking something that we'll get sick of!"

"I take responsibility for that each day I wake up next to you."

"Ha ha. Love you too, babe." Jack looked up at Esther with the boxes. "Seriously though. Help?"

Esther frowned and stared at her boyfriend. Finally she sighed and said, "Put both in the cart. We'll get some more eggs and bread in case someone wants something healthier." The look of relief on his face as he placed the boxes in their shopping cart should not have made her smile. He was a grown man still fretting over kids' cereal, but he'd chant "yolo" as he turned in a research paper for a class.

"What do you think about pizza tonight?" Jack asked as they turned onto the next aisle. Esther shrugged and he reached for the boxed dough kit, adding it to the cart. She continued to push the cart down the aisle, keeping to the right so as not to hit the cart coming from the other direction. A shout from behind Jack and Esther had everyone on the aisle turning to the sound.

"Hey Gene!" Jack greeted the older man who had come running towards them. "How was your Christmas?"

"Good, good. You guys? Olivia, get over here girl!" Gene greeted the other cart-pusher in much the same way. Pleasantries were exchanged around the small group as each talked about how their holidays had passed. The topic then shifted to college - if any of them were ready for the next term, a unanimous negative - and then to work.

Olivia looked ready to burst with her news. "Did you get a call from Victor?"

"You too?" Gene asked.

"Yes! He called when I was in class, so I got a message from my roommate that said my old boss called. My first thought was that it was Rick, but _thank god_ it wasn't!" She laughed out loud then. "I called him back, and Vic asked me if I wanted to return to work for him!"

"That's wonderful!" Esther said, "But what happened to that Rick guy? I thought he took over for Victor?" She hadn't met the replacement manager personally, but just one visit to the restaurant had been enough to see the damage he had done.

"That sonofabitch was fired," Gene grinned widely. "I happened to run into Victor doing a grocery run back before Thanksgiving, and he's been checking in with me all month."

"Isn't _he_ the owner?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, but for the time being I've been promoted to assistant manager," He looked practically giddy to finally tell someone else. "He's coming on as manager until he can find someone that can handle the pressure. Said he wants to bring Terry back, but keep that off the records in case it's not possible. So how's Wennie? Any of you hear from her?"

Esther tried not to wince at her friend's name. She hadn't talked to her since Christmas morning, and the more she thought about it, she was almost certain that the woman wasn't in bed alone. Ithilwen had never told her if she had gotten the call to return to work, but Esther wondered if she'd even accept if offered the chance. Finally she said, "Wennie's in Scotland; I talked to her Christmas morning."

Olivia cooed. "A Scottish Christmas? Oh, that sounds magical!"

"Did she say if Victor called her?" Gene asked.

The blond shrugged. "I can't say. I think I had woken her up when I called, so we didn't talk long."

Gene sighed, tucking his hands in his jeans pockets. "Somehow I don't think she'll be coming back."

"What makes you say that?" Olivia looked at him, frowning. "If Rick is gone, I can see no reason why she wouldn't come back."

Jack shrugged. "It's probably got something to do with her family in Scotland." At the bewildered looks from the former coworkers, he added quickly, "Yeah, she found out that she has blood relatives a couple months ago. Wild stuff."

"What Jack's trying to say is that since Wennie's got one more term left, I think she might pack up and go back to Scotland," Esther clarified. She refused to say anything about Legolas specifically or the company he owned in the off chance they assumed she was chasing money. There was clearly more to it than all the money of the world.

"Well that's a shame," Olivia mused. "Not about her being with family, of course. It'll be different without her at the restaurant."

"I would reckon that it'll take more getting used to to have this nut as an assistant manager," Jack teased, poking his thumb towards Gene.

"Yes," Olivia laughed at the look of shock on his face. "You can't pull a Dukes of Hazzard and jump tables whenever there's a dispute!"

"Only if there's an actual fight," Gene pointed out. "We'll be the first restaurant in the area with an assistant manager that doubles as a bouncer."

* * *

The days after Christmas at the castle were always lazy. Erestor would use the following week to challenge himself with repurposing anything left over from the large dinner. Sometimes it worked, sometimes Lindir would be the only one brave enough to come back for seconds. He didn't take offense when the experiments fell flat, he could admit failure. It was his lover trying to please him by eating a botched dinner that drove him mad.

One of his latest ideas had been to attempt miniature shepard's pies. Using a cupcake pan, he had modified the recipe so that the filling wouldn't eat through the cupcake liners, and laid down a spoonful of fried onion sticks into each. As he stood there staring at the bubbling mess, he contemplated on if it would have been easier to line the bottoms with hash browns instead. The liners themselves held up to the gooey concoction, and the potatoes on top had gone browner far quicker than he had planned.

Lindir stood next to him. "It smells good."

"You're just saying that." Erestor took two spoons and pulled out one of the cupcake liners, setting the whole mess on the saucer Lindir held out for him. "Just look - the entire thing is falling apart! You can't even get the liner out from under the pie without ruining it!"

His lover didn't bat an eye at the liner, which had turned greasy and clung to the miniature pie. Lindir took one of the spoons from Erestor and peeled down one side of the liner before scooping up a sample of the pie to taste. The potatoes had been tough to cut through, and he had to admit that Erestor was right about it falling apart after that. The fried onions did nothing to help the pie hold its shape, and had even gone soggy under the weight of the filling. On the plus side, it was all leftovers, so all it really needed was to be heated up. "Still tastes good," he mumbled, going for a second taste.

"Are you completely insane? Put it down!"

"No," Lindir even made to hold the saucer away from Erestor. "Believe it or not, it is edible! Give it a chance!"

"You're only saying that to make me feel better," Erestor pressed, reaching for the saucer. Lindir took a step away, still holding the dish out of reach.

"What does it's appearance matter? It's going to end up in the same state as any other food we eat!"

Erestor huffed. "Excuse me for wanting my food to look nice before it's consumed!"

Lindir took a third bite, much to his lover's annoyance. "Tell you what," he said, "You try this. Then, if you can't get three good opinions in this entire castle apart from mine, you can toss it. Deal?"

The pleading look Erestor received only irked him; Lindir liked to pull that look when he wanted to get his way. "Fine," he mumbled, taking the other spoon and using it to scoop a small amount from the saucer. Trying not to think about what a disaster the food looked, he ate it. The taste was what one would expect, though the fried onions added a little more flavor. With each second that passed, Lindir's smug expression only made him more irritated. "Dammit," he growled, reaching for the container of tin foil to cover the remaining miniature pies.

* * *

"I thought I'd find you in here."

Legolas visibly tensed at the sound of her voice from the doorway. He had hoped that he could have been quick, just in and out without anyone noticing his absence. 'Should have known better.'

He heard the door shut as she asked, "Don't get me wrong, Legolas. I'm not mad; if anything, I find your initiative impressive."

"That's what you said last night," he said cheekily.

Ithilwen snickered as she swatted his arm. She looked over his shoulder at the mess of papers laid out across his desk. "You know I thought Bernard was kidding when he told me that you're bad to jump back into work right after Christmas."

"That's because not all of our affiliates honor the day," he said, pulling her down across the arm of the chair to sit in his lap. "For them it's another business day, and the sooner I get back to work, the less of a backlog I have to go through."

"He also said that you've been stealing away like this for years." Her eyes narrowed accusingly.

"...Alright, that is true. In my defense, I was allowing the others to have more quality time with their children."

Ithilwen sighed through her nose. Somehow it always came back to children. He wasn't blaming her absence, obviously, but she still didn't like the idea of him being upstairs in his office alone at Christmas. "Okay then," she started, wiggling in his lap to better see the desk. "What do you want me to do?"

"I beg your pardon?" There were a lot of things he could have said, but there wasn't anything playful about her tone.

"This work," she said. "What can I do to help?"

"Ithilwen, I don't expect-"

"Consider it an internship. You can show me the ropes of how the company works, and at the same time cut down on the paperwork backlog."

"It's really not that much-"

"But it's keeping you from your family," she poked him in the shoulder for emphasis. "Everyone else may let you go off on your own to handle the company, but I'm more stubborn than that. I'm going to have to learn how to help sooner or later anyway."

Legolas considered his options. On the one hand, it would get the work cleared off the desk faster. On the other hand, it meant putting Ithilwen to work, and he told himself that he wouldn't force the company on her so suddenly. Then again, it really wasn't that much work, so she wouldn't be diving in feet first… "Alright," he relented.

She perked up at his answer, bouncing in his lap excitedly. Intentional or not, her squirming about had consequences he wasn't about to apologize for.

"So this internship," he murmured, leaning forward to rest his chin on her shoulder. "What do you think about interoffice relationships?"

Ithilwen hummed, pretending not to notice the hand that moved lazily against the outside of her leg. It tickled like hell through her jeans, but she wasn't about to admit it. "Well, if both people are willing, then I don't see anything wrong with it…"

"What if it were between the boss and say, someone new to the company?" Legolas tilted his head just enough for his breath to tickle her ear as he spoke. "For example, would it be improper if said boss were to ask the new person to stay behind and help file away hard copies of work?"

"And…what are you referring to by that?" She knew, she knew plain as day. It was just too much fun to tease him.

"I think you know," he purred.

"I don't know," she mock-whined, trying desperately not to laugh. "How much work is there?"

Legolas shifted this time, and she was once again reminded of how much "work" there was. "There is enough that it could be done alone, however…I think it would be more efficient for two people to sort it out. Thoroughly," he added.

'Keep strong girl!' Her thoughts were pleading. 'Win this for womankind!' "Well…if you put it that way…" Ithilwen felt his hand move back up her leg to rest on her hip expectantly. She turned, just enough to see Legolas' face clearly. With a sweet smile she said, "I would love to help you with your other work, but I really do believe we should settle the matter before us. Shall we?"

The groan he let out then made her laugh. Hard.

* * *

"Where's the kids?" Morwen looked around the yard, but could find no trace of them, save for a bizarre set of small footprints in the snow. "I thought they were helping with the snowman?"

Haldir grunted as he pushed another clump of snow back into place. "They were, but I think the snow is too powdery for building over here." He looked up at her as he continued, "Right now they're teaching your mother how to make snow angels."

She set down the scarf and old top hat she had brought out and moved to squat in the snow opposite her husband. "And Adar?"

"Snowball fight."

"Let me guess, Thranduil?"

"Was it that easy?"

Morwen laughed. "I think they're making up for missed years since Adar stayed on that island for so long."

"Then it will surprise you to learn that your brother-in-law is also caught up in this battle."

"Really now? Whose side's he on? Do you know?"

Haldir smoothed out the ball of snow he had been working on before setting it on the body. As he reached for another handful of snow to help hold the pieces together, he said, "Do you really think he'd go against his father-in-law? Not when he has the chance to piss Thranduil off."

"Two against one doesn't seem very fair." It wasn't fair, but in case he was nearby she feigned sympathy to avoid snow down the back.

"They're not the only ones playing," Haldir said. "Glorfindel's in the game as well."

"So it's three against one, then?"

"Glorfindel's more of a blitzkrieg-" Shouts from nearby caused both elves to look up in alarm. Seconds later, the small pack of younglings came shuffling through the snow on the heels of Glorfindel, who was crowing about gaining an army. Following them at a slower pace was an unexpected pair-

"Naneth? Was it Glorfindel?"

Galadriel was dusting snow out of her hair as she growled, "It was your _father_." She had been helping Melui out of her formed snow angel when Glorfindel had run into the clearing, yelling something about being chased. The younglings jumped at the opportunity to help him, and she had considered stepping inside for a few minutes when it happened. A large snowball had landed at the base of her neck, sliding down into the collar of her shirt and melting.

Thranduil was next to her, unapologetically grinning as she recounted the story. "Never in my years have I seen an ellon's expression change so quickly! He had been aiming for me, but Galadriel had stepped in the snowball's path before he could stop himself. I saw the whole thing- he went from disbelief that he had missed me, to recognizing who he hit, then it dawned on him _just who_ he hit!"

Galadriel still looked put out as she shook the last of the snow out of her jacket. "It occurred to me then that Thranduil was outnumbered," she said seriously. "And since it would not do to allow an ally to go into battle with minimal resources, I've decided to join his company."

"Sure Miraear won't be jealous?" Morwen asked Thranduil jokingly.

"She will be joining us," Thranduil said, kneeling to pack snowballs. "The question is, will you two?"

"You realize you're asking me to go up against my father-in-law," Haldir stated.

Galadriel sniffed as she reached down to collect the top hat, placing it on the head of the snowman jus so. "Would you rather have your mother-in-law or your father-in-law as an enemy?"

Morwen shifted her gaze quickly to Haldir and couldn't stop the snort at the conflicted look on her husband's face. This was a battle he wasn't going to win, no matter what, so it was best to go with the lesser of two evils.

"Lord Celeborn will just have to understand that I am bound to honor my queen's wishes," he said finally.

As Galadriel smiled in triumph, Haldir could see Thranduil grinning from behind her as he made snowballs. "You picked wisely, marchwarden."

* * *

That evening, Melda turned back the covers on the bed and crawled in with her latest book. Since Bernard had been away in California, she had used reading books before bed as a coping mechanism for being alone. Her latest one was an urban fantasy about a city of mortals being protected from zombies that featured gargoyles, vampires, and a collective of supernatural task force members. It wasn't one of the best books she had ever read, but it was interesting. She still wasn't sold on reading the other books in the series, though.

Bernard had come out of the bathroom and headed to the bookshelf to select his own book. Anything that wasn't a textbook seemed appealing lately, and since his wife had ecclectic tastes, there was something for any mood. Picking a book that mentioned something about a city of bones, he slid under the covers next to her. "Something wrong, Mel?" he asked when she didn't open her book.

Melda shrugged. "You ever think about the future?"

"This isn't like the time you asked me if the Y2K ordeal could actually happen, is it?"

"I was being serious then, too!" she protested. "But no…I was thinking about here. The castle. All of us."

"Well yeah. I think about that all the time. What are you talking about exactly?"

"Ithilwen's going back to California next month, right?"

"Yeah, she wants to finish her degree."

"And you'll be going back with her?"

Bernard was confused. Not sure where she was going with this, he nodded. "Yeah. If she goes, I'll go with her so she won't be there alone. Why? You want to come with us?"

Melda shook her head. "Maybe to visit you both, but I'll need to be working too." She stretched her legs out beneath the covers. "Do you think Legolas will go with her?"

"That, I don't know. I wouldn't put it past him. It's only a few months to graduation, and that'll be here before we know it. I'm pretty sure she'll be coming back after that."

"I know she will." At his look, she added. "Ithilwen told us girls that she's going to move over here after school."

He hummed a low "how bout that" as he opened the book to the first chapter. Bernard had made it a paragraph in before he set the book back down in his lap. "She's going to have to be brought into the swing of rotating identities," he said.

Melda set her book down and studied him. "You think she can handle it? I mean when it gets out that Legolas isn't single anymore, the public is going to zero in on her."

"We'll be here for her," he assured her and himself. They had all grown into the company's success and publicity, but Ithilwen would be dropped into it headfirst. "What concerns me is when they decide to have kids themselves. Keeping that secret isn't easy anymore."

She frowned, knowing what he meant. Technology had become too advanced to not notice that there were differences between mortal and elven blood, which was a concern on everyone's minds when they went outside the castle's borders. For centuries they had been using the excuse of being a family that closely resembled its elders whenever leadership changed. Then the younglings had come along, and guarding the pregnancies of the ellith had been a real challenge. They had to be especially careful to not say how far along they really were to mortals, since six months pregnant to an elf was vastly different than a woman. The babies themselves had to be kept within the castle much of the time to avoid gaining unwanted questions until they had grown. Even then they still had to say they were late bloomers. Ithilwen would have to be told of all these procedures beforehand. Melda knew all of this, having witnessed the struggles of her family, and still had to ask. "Do you think we'll ever have children, Bernard?"

If she had expected him to stutter or get flustered, she would have been disappointed. Melda looked over to see that the book lay open in his lap still, and he looked down at it as if he were reading. He appeared as if he were considering his words carefully. She felt her gut clench uncomfortably as she waited for an answer.

Bernard did look up at her, and said, "You know I'd like that, Melda."

"I didn't mean immediately or anything, B," she began, feeling her stomach contract tighter. "I was only asking if it could be in the plans before we returned to Valinor."

His relaxed expression changed to concern at her words. "Why would we wait that long? Melda, I have no idea when we're going back to Valinor. There is no way I want to wait that long!"

Melda sighed in relief, her stomach relaxing. "So we're going to try one day?"

Bernard smiled. "Yeah, we're going to try one day." He closed the book and set it on the bedside table. He then took Melda's and placed it with his. "One day," he said, pulling her down to join him against the mattress.

She settled into his arms and smiled. She could handle that answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but I must admit I'm at one of those "in-between" points in both of these stories. You know where there's that lull in big events? It's one of those gaps, and I didn't want to have one big thing happen in every chapter. So when I outlined the remainder of this story, I wrote out shorter chapters like this one. My problem now is that I wrote the outlines so long ago that I can't remember what I intended to write about. LOL It sucks having both writers' block and artists' block at the same time! But do let me know if you'd like to see anything in particular with a chapter like this!


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